Until the End
by CMLangdon
Summary: He had longed for her from afar for years while his own son got to have the one thing he wanted. When their relationship ends, will Vegeta finally get the chance to satisfy his lust for Pan?
1. Had Enough

**Welcome to my first ever story everyone! I apologize for any OOC-ness. I did my best to make everyone act as they do normally. Now this is a Pan/Vegeta fan fic, so any T/P & B/V shippers out there better not bite my head off. I ship Trunks & Pan, too, but Vegeta & Pan are two of my favorite characters & I thought it'd be fun to make them a couple. Don't agree? Then don't read. I like using song titles as the chapter names & story title. Let's make a game out of it & if you recognize the band/musician who sings the song I mention, let me know. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Dragon Ball, DBZ, DBGT or anything from any other works you may recognize. If I did, GT would have been a lot better. Also, thank you to Club Kikyo for the cover photo. That's all them. I am not that talented.**

 **Chapter One: Had Enough**

"Trunks, I want to break up."

Trunks stared at Pan with wide eyes, speechless. He hadn't been expecting to come home after a long day at Capsule Corp to his girlfriend sitting on the couch, suitcases packed, but here she was, ending their four year relationship. The Saiyan still had his briefcase in his hand. Said hand gripped the handle so hard his knuckles were turning white. Pan didn't even look at him; she was staring at her clasped hands in her lap. Trunks' shock quickly turned into anger. _She could at least look at him while tearing out his heart_ , he thought.

"Why are you doing this, Pan?" The raven-haired woman was silent as she continued to look down. "Goddamn it, answer me! I deserve an explanation! You're leaving me out of nowhere. Give me a fucking reason at least."

At this, Pan finally looked up, angry tears glistening in her dark eyes. She stood up & walked over to Trunks. He felt her ki rising, indicating her rage. The quarter Saiyan barely reached his shoulder, but that didn't make her any less threatening. "I can't believe you have the audacity to demand things from me after all you've taken already. Four years, Trunks. That's what you've taken from me. You care about work more than me & if you maybe looked up from your damn paperwork every once in awhile, you would've noticed how unhappy I am. This isn't out of nowhere. You've just been too busy to see it coming. There's your fucking reason." The tears that had been threatening to spill during her rant finally spilled down her cheeks, but she wasn't crying just out of anger; her heart was breaking as well. "I love you, Trunks, I do. You're my best friend, but I can't live like this anymore. You talk about what you deserve, but what about me? Don't I deserve happiness?"

Tears fell from Trunks' eyes as well. "You deserve the world, Panny, & I'll give it to you if that's what you want. I'll try to be better. I'll do anything to keep you."

"This isn't the first time you made that promise. How many times have we had this fight? Every time we argue, you say you'll spend less time at work & more time with me, but it never happens."

"It's not my fault, Pan. Things come up at work that I can't ignore.

"So you ignore me? How do you think that makes me feel? I never thought I'd have to compete with a job. When it comes to your priorities, I come in second. I understand your job is demanding, but you're not the only one who can do those 'things' that come up."

"Please, Pan...give me another chance. Forgive me...please."

The young Saiyan girl wrapped her arms around the older man & squeezed tight. "I already have," she cried into his chest. After a moment, she pulled away. "I just hope you can forgive me someday for what I'm about to do." Pan kissed his moist cheek & then proceeded to grab her packed bags & walk to the door. Before she crossed the threshold, she looked over her shoulder & whispered, "I'm sorry my love," knowing he would be able to hear it.

Trunks didn't turn around, just kept staring straight ahead, blue eyes unseeing. He did manage a soft goodbye before he heard the front door click shut. Only when she was gone did the Saiyan warrior allow himself to completely break down, falling to his knees while he sobbed into his hands. Pan stood outside the door listening to his cries of anguish, her own sobs muffled by her hands, suitcases abandoned at her feet. She was tempted to go back inside the apartment to comfort her lavender-haired lover, however she didn't, she couldn't. He wasn't hers anymore. Deep down, Pan knew this was for the best, for both of them. After a couple minutes, Pan regained her composure, picked up her bags once more & took to the sky, heading towards her parents' house.

Underneath all the sadness, Pan also felt a sense of relief. As much as she loved Trunks, she had felt trapped for so long, only staying with him out of loyalty & the hope that he would keep his promise one day. There was love present as well. That love wasn't enough to keep the tears from falling, though, during all those nights she spent alone.

Over the years he had gotten worse. He spent more & more time at Capsule Corp & she rarely saw him anymore. What kind of relationship was that? She didn't want to stay up late anymore waiting for him to come home, didn't want to eat dinner alone, go to bed alone. She sometimes woke up alone, too, without even a kiss goodbye. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over & over again & expecting different results, so was Pan insane? She stayed with Trunks thinking everything would eventually get better, but neither of them went out of their way to do things differently to make that happen. The two performed the same routine more or less everyday. Trunks went to work & when he did decide to come home, he spent it either sleeping or eating. As for her, she went to school & came home right after. Sometimes Pan went out with friends or visited her family when she got too lonely. On occasion, Trunks & her were intimate, however it wasn't as often as it used to be when they first started dating. That was one of the lesser reasons for why Pan left; she was sexually frustrated & her boyfriend wasn't their to take of her needs. Rather than wait until she snapped & possibly did something she might regret with another man, Pan thought it best to break things off. Maybe she should've tried harder to change things. Was she too hasty in her decision to leave? Too selfish? No. She put so much effort into their relationship, gave it her all. Pan wasn't insane. Looking back, she did try to mix things up, tried to put the spark back in their love life. All the romantic dinners she cooked, which he was often late for. Most of the time, he didn't show up at all. The young Saiyan woman even went as far as to make changes in her appearance in attempts to get him to notice her & spend more time at home. Dresses, make up, high heels! That wasn't her. Despite all her efforts, nothing worked. She wasn't insane.

Sighing, the dark-haired girl landed in front of her parents door. At 22, Pan didn't think she'd have to move back in with her mom & dad. That just goes to show you, though, that nothing in life is guaranteed & the plans you had when you were younger, can change drastically. On the other hand, life can surprise a person, too. The trials she was experiencing now could be a blessing in disguise. Fresh starts can be a good thing after all & that's what this was.

While laying in bed later that night after a good cry in Videl's arms & a warm shower, Pan couldn't help but think that something good was coming her way. Her heart ached liked crazy & her eyes were red & puffy, yet the feeling wouldn't go away. It was like a thread of hope pulling at her heart. She just had to find what, or who, was at the other end of the thread.

 **Six months later- October**

It had been half a year since the break up & Pan was doing incredibly well. She had graduated from college with a degree in English literature & was now working for a small publishing company in West City. It was a simple secretary position, but she was hoping that one day, if she played her cards right, she would become a publisher. At the moment, the black-haired beauty was in the kitchen, helping her mom with dinner. Seeing as two Saiyans resided in the house, preparing meals was always a major task. Plus, her grandparents were also joining them for dinner & since Goku could eat a whole grocery store worth of food by himself, the two women had their work cut out for them. Master Roshi once told Pan that her grandpa cleaned out his entire refrigerator when he first arrived at the Kame House to start his martial arts training. After the old turtle hermit told her that story, Goku had simply scratched the back of his head & with a laugh said, "You told me to help myself."

Pan smiled to herself at the memory. She missed her grandpa & couldn't wait to see him. Suddenly, as if summoned by her thoughts, he appeared directly in front of her via instant transmission, Chi Chi at his side.

"Hi, Pan!"

"Grandpa!" Pan abandoned the salad she had been preparing & jumped into Goku's arms, squeezing tight. "I've missed you so much. I haven't seen you in the longest time."

"I'm sorry, kiddo. I've been busy training."

"Same old Dad."

Gohan entered the kitchen, smiling at his father. The middle aged man was wearing black slacks & a white dress shirt. Goku, however, was dressed completely opposite, wearing his usual orange gi.

"Gohan, you look so handsome," Chi Chi walked over to her oldest son & gave him a quick hug & kiss on the cheek. Glaring at her husband, she added, "I wish your father would dress as nice as you sometimes."

"C'mon Chi Chi, you know I hate wearing stuff like that." Goku laughed.

"I agree, Grandpa," his granddaughter chimed in. "Just jeans & a t-shirt is all I need. No fancy dresses for me."

"That's my girl."

Gohan smiled & shook his head at his daughter & father, while Chi Chi continued to frown by his side. _Those two are so much alike_ , Gohan thought. Videl, who had been busy checking on the roast in the oven, finally acknowledged the group.

"Speaking of fancy dresses, Bulma is having a party tomorrow night. It's a Halloween masquerade party, so costumes are mandatory she said. Now that doesn't mean you have to wear an elaborate ball gown, Pan, but I would like you to dress appropriately."

"But it's a costume party, Mama. Can't I wear anything I want?"

"Yes, dear, but remember we'll be around friends & family. Nothing too...gruesome." Videl smiled at her only child.

"Oh Mom, that was one time & I haven't done it again since."

Pan knew her other was referring to the time when her & Trunks dressed up as zombies three years ago for that year's Halloween party & terrified unsuspecting party goers who wandered down the dark halls of Bulma's home in search of the bathroom or were walking to their cars in the dead of night when the event was over. The young couple got a kick out of it, but their parents were less than pleased, although Videl & Gohan laugh at the incident now. The memory made Pan's heart ache. Those were the days when their relationship was perfect. They were together all the time, either training or hanging out at each other's houses watching movies, playing games, or getting cozy on her bed when her parents weren't home. When they moved in together two years into the relationship, all that seemed to stop. What happened to them?

Videl noticed the sad expression on Pan's face & cursed herself for unintentionally reminding her of Trunks. She quickly tried to get her daughter's mind off of him & back on tomorrow's party.

"So, sweetie, any idea what you want to go as?"

"Well, you've severely limited my options if I can't be scary. Maybe an angel?"

Chi Chi squealed, actually squealed. "Oh honey, that's perfect. I can't wait to see you with your beautiful white wings & halo."

Goku placed his arm around Pan's shoulders. "An angel is a great choice, Panny. Maybe I'll go as King Yemma." He laughed & everyone else joined in. "Don't tell him I said that. You never know, I might be seeing him again soon & I don't need him mad at me."

While everyone else laughed harder at that, Pan was lost in thought. _Yes, an angel is perfect, Grandma, but my wings certainly won't be white. I'll dress to impress, but I'm still going to stay true to me._

 **Author's Note:**

Next chapter is the Halloween party. I think you can all assume what Pan has planned. If not, you'll see soon. Please leave a review if you have a moment. This is my first story after all & constructive criticism would really help. Also, I'm open to suggestions, so if there's something you want to happen, I'll try to make it work if it doesn't interfere with what I already have planned. I look forward to hearing from you guys!

-Chels xoxo


	2. Welcome to the Masquerade

**Thank you to my guest reviewer SLee, & LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta for your reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **P.S. Last chapter's title was a song by Breaking Benjamin :)**

 **Chapter Two: Welcome to the Masquerade**

Pan looked at herself in the full length mirror in her room. She was clad all in black, from her angel wings to her knee high boots & she couldn't help smiling at the reactions she was going to get from her family. The only part of the costume she wasn't comfortable with was the skin tight dress that came down to the middle of her thigh & had a plunging neckline. Frowning, she thought, _I wish stores would sell a woman's Halloween costume that wasn't slutty. Even a simple nun costume left little to the imagination!_ Shaking her head & appraising her appearance once more, the young woman thought about adding some make up for a more dramatic effect, but decided on just some lipstick. It was a masquerade after all, so what was the point if no would be able to see half her face? Make up wasn't really her thing anyway. Aside from wearing eyeliner & mascara on occasion, the 22-year old was completely clueless when it came to that stuff. That's too be expected, however, when growing up around mostly boys. So, Pan sneaked a tube of Videl's dark red lipstick & applied it carefully, proud of herself when she managed not to get any on her teeth.

More or less satisfied with her appearance, Pan donned her simple black mask & left her room. Everyone else had already left for the party, which Pan was grateful for. Although she wasn't zombified this year, she didn't want to risk her mom making her change. Videl was less likely to make a scene in public. Chi Chi on the other hand…

Taking to the sky, Pan imagined her wings were real & that those were what kept her afloat, not her energy. It brought a smile to her face. That smile quickly vanished, though, when she fully realized where she was going. Capsule Corp. The place where Trunks works & his family resides. _Maybe he won't attend the party. He didn't bother to show up the last couple of years, why would this year be any different? Too busy working probably._ With that thought to comfort her, she continued flying towards West City.

 _Damn that woman & her constant parties. _Vegeta, dressed in a form fitting black suit with a red tie, red mask & devil horns, was sulking in the corner of the ballroom while the party raged on around him. He despised anything that kept him from his beloved gravitation room, especially Bulma's parties. Every time someone approached him trying to strike up a conversation, his fingers twitched with the urge to punch them in the face. Luckily for the humans, the Saiyan Prince didn't have to resort to violence; a glare from him was enough to make them turn right back around. Again, he absolutely loathed these types of things.

However, he had to admit some of the parties weren't that bad, but that was only when _she_ showed up. Pan Son, granddaughter of his greatest rival. Over the years, Vegeta found himself becoming increasingly more drawn to her. She had grown up to be a beautiful Saiyan female. Strong, fearless, intelligent. He longed to have her, just once. Longed to finally know what it was like to be with a Saiyan woman.

Unfortunately for him, his spoiled, half breed brat had gotten to her first. When that happened, he was sure she was lost to him forever, assuming that Trunks would mark Pan & claim her as his own. But that never happened. When Trunks would bring his girlfriend over, Vegeta couldn't help but scan her neck for bite marks, which would signify the bond between the two hybrids. Once or twice he saw red marks; it filled him with jealously to see them, to see the physical proof that his son had touched her in ways that he could only dream of, but no teeth marks were present, so he quelled the feeling.

But the girl was free game now. Pan had left Trunks, something the older man never thought would happen, & she was attending tonight's festivities. The Son family arrived around 9pm & Vegeta searched for the young girl among them, but she was no where to be seen. He detached himself from his corner & walked up to Goku.

"So, Kakarot," the shorter Saiyan said, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice," it seems you're missing a brat tonight."

It took Goku a moment to figure out what he meant. _Moron,_ the prince thought. Finally,he replied with a small chuckle. "Oh, you mean Pan. She should be here soon. She wasn't ready yet, so we left without her. Didn't want Bulma to yell at me for being any later than we already are." He chuckled again. As if on cue, the two men felt a familiar ki approaching.

"There she is now. She'll be happy to see you, Vegeta. She's been talking nonstop about sparring with you again. Poor girl doesn't get to train enough." Goku's comment brought a smug smirk to the prince's face. _So she's been thinking of me has she?_

"There's more to life than just training, Goku," said Chi Chi.

Before Goku could reply to his wife, the ballroom doors opened & the group couldn't help but stare at the new arrival. For a moment, Vegeta wasn't sure it was even Pan, but there was no denying that it was her ki signature he was sensing. For the first time in his long life, he was speechless.

"That's…Pan?" Chi Chi couldn't believe her eyes. This was not what she had in mind when her granddaughter said she was going to be an angel. There wasn't a speck of white on her costume. Even her halo was black. .

"Um…yeah, Mother, that's her." Gohan was shocked as well. His little girl never dressed this provocatively & he didn't like all the attention she was getting from the male party goers, although Pan seemed oblivious to their stares.

Goku didn't seem to have a problem with the way she was dressed. He was easily the most cool headed of the group & took most things lightly. "Look on the bright side, you guys. She's finally dressing more feminine like. That's what you wanted right, Chi? Videl?"

"I told her to dress appropriately, this isn't appropriate!"

"It's not that bad, Videl. At least she's wearing a dress."

"Goku-"

"Hey everyone."

Pan had finally reached them, smiling with dark red lips. Vegeta couldn't stop staring; he was transfixed. A fallen angel. Her costume complemented his perfectly.

"Pan, sweetie, please explain your outfit," Videl asked with a tight lipped smile.

"What's to explain? I said I was going to be an angel. What's the problem?"

Gohan chimed in before his wife lost it. "Honey, when you mentioned being an angel, we thought you would be a traditional angel. You know, white wings & such."

"Papa, that's so boring. Please don't make a big deal out of this. I am an adult you know?"

"She's right," said…Vegeta? He was defending her? That was new. "Compared to some of the other half dressed women running around tonight, this brat is absolutely Amish."

Pan smiled. "Thanks, Vegeta, or should I address you as Lucifer?"

Vegeta smirked, but didn't reply. Her parents & grandma had decided not to argue with her anymore, for now at least, & were now conversing with Krillin & 18 who had wandered over. Goku, of course, found his way to the buffet table & got down to business. Pan & Vegeta stood together, apart from their small group.

"I've heard you've been neglecting your training, brat."

Blushing, Pan said, "Oh, yes, unfortunately. Now that I'm done with school, though, I have more time to train. Maybe we can spar sometime?"

"Yes, your clown of a grandpa mentioned you can't stop talking about me." He smirked.

She blushed even more. "Grandpa & I talk about training a lot & your name might have come up a couple of times. I'm excited to get back into it."

"That eager to get your ass handed to you, huh?"

"Bring it on, old man."

"Don't underestimate me. I'm still young enough to handle you, little one." Pan chuckled lightly at that, but she couldn't help but think he meant something other than sparring.

Silence descended upon the pair as the quarter Saiyan repeated his words over & over in her head. Was Vegeta flirting with her? She didn't think he saw her that way. Growing up, Pan had a huge crush on her ex-boyfriend's dad. As she got older, it became clear he only thought of her as a child, so she started dating Trunks. She truly loved Trunks at the time, but the young girl couldn't help but think that she only dated him because he resembled Vegeta. It unsettled Pan to think she was so shallow, but that's how deep her feelings for the prince of Saiyans ran.

The Saiyan warrior was worried that he may have come on too strong, too soon. He didn't want to scare her away before he could seduce her. The silence grew between them & he was about to break it when his daughter ran up to them, enveloping Pan in a hug.

"Six months & you can't pick up a phone to call your best friend?"

"Hello to you, too, Bulla," Pan greeted the blue-haired girl. "I'm sorry it's just been weird with the whole Trunks & me thing. I thought you might be mad at me."

"Why would I be mad?" Bulla asked.

Pan stared at her friend, puzzled. "Because I broke your brother's heart of course."

"Seems like he's doing fine to me." Bulla pointed behind Pan at…Trunks. He was near the refreshment table & there was a girl all over him. She was dressed as a nurse & he a doctor. Both wore masks, but Trunks' lavender hair stuck out like a sore thumb. There was no denying it was him. Oddly enough, Pan didn't feel any sadness or jealously. Instead she was happy that he had found somebody new.

"I should go say hello." Pan excused herself. While walking towards where Trunks was, she glanced back over her shoulder to find Vegeta staring at her with narrowed eyes. _Weird_.

Trunks didn't notice the dark angel until she was right in front of him. Not realizing it was Pan, he bowed his head at her & smiled politely.

"Can I help you, miss?"

"Don't recognize me, Trunks? It's only been a few months."

"Pan! S-sorry. I couldn't tell with the mask &…everything." He eyed her attire & then glanced nervously at the girl beside him. "I didn't think you'd be here."

"Your mom wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I missed another one of her parties." Pan laughed, but then the smile slipped from her face. "I wanted to talk to you. I still care for you & I'd like us to be friends again. Besides, it looks like you've already moved on." Turning to his date, she held out her hand. "Hi I'm Pan, an old friend of Trunks'."

The blonde, busty nurse took Pan's hand & shook it. "Cecilia, Trunks' girlfriend. Nice to meet you. I love your costume."

"Thank you. You two look great. So Trunks, where'd you guys meet?"

The lavender-haired man seemed uncomfortable as he mumbled, "Work."

A sad smile appeared on her face. "Of course. You never go anywhere else. I'm not surprised you met her at the office. Congratulations, really. How long have you two been together?"

"Three months," Trunks quickly replied at the same time Cecilia said "A year & a half."

Pan stared at the couple in shock, speechless. A year & a half? They only broke up six months ago! What the hell is going on? "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, we started dating after a Capsule Corp convention in Parsley City. It's a bit embarrassing. We hooked up in my hotel room & the rest is history. Since we work so closely with each other, Trunks insisted we keep our relationship a secret. That was until a few months ago when he said he just didn't care anymore & he wanted to go public." Cecilia smiled lovingly at Trunks who had become noticeably paler.

The convention in Parsley City. Pan remembered that. Trunks was out of town for a week. It was after he got back that things between them started going downhill. Now she knew why. It all made sense. The bastard was cheating on her. He may have been at Capsule Corp like he said most of the time, but she doubted he was "working". Dende, she was so stupid.

Angry tears formed in Pan's eyes. She wasn't sad, she was pissed. "I'm glad you had someone to keep you company during all those long nights at work, Trunks," she said through clenched teeth. Keeping her eyes on the asshole in front of her, she addressed Cecilia. "Let me guess, Cecilia, he never took you to his place before a few months ago, right?"

The blonde's brow furrowed in confusion. "How'd you know?"

"Because I was there, in _our_ apartment. We dated for four years until I left him half a year ago. I didn't know about you. I broke up with him for different reasons. You should know that he's been playing us both."

Trunks finally spoke up. "Pan, I'm-"

He was cut off by Pan's hand across his face. A loud "smack" reverberated through the huge room & everyone went silent. The enraged Saiyan's ki was rising rapidly.

"You're what? Sorry? No, you're not. But you will be." Pan raised her closed fist & was about to swing it forward when another hand grabbed her arm & stopped her. It was her father. He, & the other Saiyans with impeccable hearing, overheard their conversation & knew exactly what was going on.

"Sweetie, don't. I know he deserves it, but it'll ruin Bulma's party. Please, just calm down."

"But Daddy he-"

"I know, sweetheart. I heard everything. I'm sorry. Why don't you go get some fresh air? It'll clear your mind." While Gohan was trying to calm down his daughter, Cecilia had also slapped Trunks & exited the room, tears running down her cheeks. Trunks went after her with one final glance at Pan. "Looks like he'll pay for his deception anyway. I doubt that girl will stay with him."

Pan pulled her arm away from her father & swiftly made her way outside. Vegeta had been watching since she first went over to Trunks. He was angry that his son had hurt his Pan. Wait. His Pan? He obviously meant Trunks' Pan…right? Shaking his head of those absurd thoughts, Vegeta watched the young woman slip out the balcony door & outside.

 _Now is my chance. She's alone. Time to claim my prize._ Smiling to himself, the sneaky devil trailed after his prey.

 **Author's Note:**

I'm sorry I ended it there. I didn't want to, but it was getting to be too long. Next chapter will be up within the next couple days, I promise.

Chels xoxo


	3. Dance With the Devil

**I'm back with another chapter. Took a day longer than I expected, but the boyfriend was sick & I was playing doctor. Also, it's been so hot in Southern California that it was hard to work up the energy to do anything. It's a little short, but it's something at least. Before I forget, last chapter's title is a song by Thousand Foot Krutch. **

**To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: Bulma & Vegeta aren't bonded. They have "mated" obviously, but it's not the same as a bond. Their relationship will be talked about more later. Thanks for the review! I love all your questions :) **

**To fangurlsrule: Great job on your guess, hon. You're right!**

 **To Spellweaver10: Thank you so much! That means a lot**

 **To Guest: Thanks for the review, hon. I'm glad you like it :)**

 **Chapter Three: Dance With the Devil**

"Mind some company?" Pan looked over her shoulder to see Vegeta of all people standing behind her. She was leaning on the balcony railing, still seething.

"What are you doing out here, Vegeta?"

"I wanted to make sure you didn't decide to hunt down my son & finish what you started in there." Not exactly a lie, but not the whole truth either. The Saiyan Prince had other intentions as well.

Pan laughed humorlessly. "I thought about it. Death is too good for him, though." With a dark smile, she turned to face him. "Maybe just a severe beating. You still have that healing chamber, right?"

Even though the girl was talking about harming his oldest child, Vegeta chuckled & nodded. "We still have it, but I don't think Bulma would appreciate you pummeling her son."

"He deserves every broken bone I plan on giving him," Pan grumbled. "You know I was actually happy for him when I saw him with that girl. But I know now that she was the one who inadvertently destroyed our relationship. I can't be mad at Cecilia because she didn't know, but I can't help to think if Trunks & I would still be together & happy if that convention never happened."

"There's no point dwelling on what could've been. Besides you terminated your relationship with Trunks because he worked too much, not because of the woman. You would've ended up apart either way."

"Maybe, maybe not. Yes, he worked too much, always had & probably always will, but before Parsley City, he would make time for me. After, everything was different. He was rarely home. I felt so alone. That was why I broke up with him." A single tear slipped down Pan's cheek.

"I know what it's like to be lonely," Vegeta sympathized. "I'm the prince of an almost dead race & my home was long ago destroyed. Even here on Earth where I have built a life, I feel alone sometimes."

Pan felt incredibly guilty after Vegeta's admission. She was surprised also that he would reveal something so personal to her. Her pain was nothing compared to man had his people & planet destroyed by a sadistic, psychotic alien who then proceeded to trick Vegeta into servitude for years & he had found a way to move on, albeit it wasn't easy. Goku had told her all about the troubled life of the prince of Saiyans.

Giving Vegeta a sad smile, she half-heartedly joked. "Way to make me feel bad."

Vegeta stepped closer. He had to get her mind off Trunks. He needed all her attention on him to make his dream of finally having her come true. Music could be heard through the closed balcony doors & an idea began to form in the clever Saiyan's head.

"Hey, brat, want to dance?"

Pan was taken aback by the question. "Dance? With you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, with me. Do you see anyone else out here?"

The raven-haired woman was confused. Vegeta never danced, not even with his own wife. But here he was, left hand outstretched, impatiently waiting for her answer. Hesitantly, she reached out & grabbed his hand. "Um…s-sure," she replied nervously.

Without warning, Vegeta pulled her close, only an inch of space between them. He placed his right hand on the small of her back while her free hand came up to grip his strong arm. She could feel the muscles moving underneath her fingers as the older man began to move to the music.

Pan looked up into his dark gaze, which was already focused on her. "I didn't know you could dance."

Vegeta snorted. "If someone can fight, then they can dance. It's the same thing. They both require focus, timing, & coordination. Observe a properly trained fighter closely & you will notice the fluid & grace behind their movements that make it like a dance."

The young woman stared wide eyed at him. It had been so long since they had sparred that Pan had forgotten how wise Vegeta was. She used to love to hear him talk about stances & strategy, energy blasts & killing blows. His voice was always so deep & soothing, as it was now. Feeling more relaxed & a little brave, she rested her head on his chest, his steady heartbeat lulling her into further relaxation. A smile tugged at the corners of Pan's lips, all thoughts of Trunks & his mistress gone from her mind.

 _Like putty in my hands._ Vegeta smirked. _Time to speed things up._ As he moved with her, he used the hand on the small of her back to bring their bodies closer together. There was now no space between the dancing pair.

Pan gasped as she felt something hard press against her stomach. She slowly raised her head to look at him. Her breath caught in her throat at the heat & intensity she found in his black eyes. Concern for his son was not the main reason he followed her outside she began to realize.

"Vegeta," she whispered, "why did you really follow me out here?"

Instead of answering, he crashed his lips to hers. They were soft & smooth, demanding & dominant. Pan stiffened for only a moment before she began to return his kiss. _This is wrong, so wrong,_ Pan thought _. He's married_. _I can't do this. I'm no better than Trunks if I do. But why can't I stop?_ Deep down Pan knew she wouldn't, or rather couldn't, stop. She'd wanted him for years. More than anything, though, she could feel a strong connection, so strong it was almost physical. It refused to let her detach herself from Vegeta. Try as she might, Pan couldn't figure out what it was. Never before had she felt something so powerful. Not with Trunks, not with anybody.

The Saiyan warrior slipped his tongue into Pan's mouth to taste her & he growled with long suppressed desire. Their tongues fought for dominance. Vegeta grinned slightly at Pan's unwillingness to let him win, but in the end he did. His hands held her narrow hips firmly while hers found their way to his chest, roaming over the hard planes of his pecs & the ridges & valleys of his abs. His tongue explored every inch of her mouth & her hands explored his body eagerly.

Suddenly, Pan felt something cold pressing into her back; it was the balcony's guard rail. Vegeta had pinned her between the rail & his body during their heated kiss. Gripping his broad shoulders, she lifted her legs & wrapped them around his waist. Vegeta groaned as Pan rubbed against his hardness. He pressed her harder into the rail & began kissing a trail from her jaw to her neck. At the same time, his hands came down & slowly lifted the hemline of her short dress. He brushed his fingers lightly over her thighs as he continued his path upward, making her shiver. Pan moaned when Vegeta found his way to her backside & squeezed her ass. He continued to kiss, suck, & nibble her neck, leaving her breathless.

When Vegeta came to a particular spot on the younger Saiyan's neck where it connected to her shoulder, he paused. There was an overwhelming urge coursing through him to bite that spot, to mark her. In all his long years, he had never felt such a strong primal need to claim a female, not even with his own wife. It was impossible to ignore, but just as he was about to bite down, he stiffened & raised his head.

"Damn it. Someone is coming. Meet me upstairs as soon as possible."Giving the angel one last gentle kiss, the masked devil flew away without another word.

Pan only had a few seconds to compose herself before the balcony doors opened to reveal her grandfather.

"Hey, Panny. Are you feeling any better?" Goku asked.

Praying he didn't notice her swollen lips or the red marks on her neck, Pan nervously replied, "I feel fine, Grandpa. Papa was right; the fresh air helped. Thanks for coming to check on me."

Goku still looked concerned. "Are you sure everything's okay? Your face looks a little flushed. Still mad at Trunks?"

"Trunks?" With everything that had just happened, Pan had totally forgotten the incident in the ballroom, but it all came rushing back after a moment of confusion. "Oh! You mean the asshole that cheated on me with a blonde bimbo? No, of course not. Why would I still be mad? That's something people usually get over pretty quickly." The sarcasm was hard to miss in her voice.

"You've spent too much time with Vegeta," Goku commented, shaking his head.

Pan panicked. "Wh-what'd you mean, Grandpa?"

"Well, his snarky attitude obviously rubbed off on you." _Funny. I've done some rubbing of my own on him, too._ Pan blushed at the inappropriate thought, but breathed a sigh of relief that her grandfather hadn't discovered her secret. _What would he think of me if he knew what I'd done, what I still want to do?_

"Seriously, Grandpa, I'm okay. Trunks & I are broken up now. I'm not going to waste any more of my time & energy on the scumbag." True, she was still angry, but her body didn't have room for much else; her longing & need for Vegeta was all it could register at the moment. "That argument we had earlier killed my mood, though, so I'm going to head home. Can you let my mom & dad know, please?"

"Sure thing, kiddo. Be safe." Goku kissed his granddaughter on the cheek & Pan worried he'd see the marks on her neck. He remained clueless, however, & turned around to go back inside. He had his hand on the doorknob & was about to open the door when he stopped to look at her again. He sniffed the air. "Has Vegeta been out here? I could've sworn I just got a whiff of him."

 _Damn. Maybe not as clueless as I thought._ Pan quickly tried to think of a lie that would get rid of him. "We, uh, were standing pretty close to each other inside & he must've been sweating because it gets so hot in there you know with all the lights & people & stuff, &, uh, yeah. He must've brushed up against me & gotten some of his sweat on me?" That last part came out as a question. _That excuse is so lame. He's never going to believe it. Shit, shit, shit._

To her surprise, Goku laughed & said, "It does get pretty toasty in there. If it wasn't for all the food, I'd probably be out here with you." He ruffled Pan's hair & finally went back inside the house. Her grandpa may have been gone, but she was still left with a big decision to make: to go to Vegeta or go home. She couldn't deny that she wanted to do the former. Morality insisted she choose the latter, though. In the end, her desire won out over her morals & she followed Vegeta's scent to a side door of the house. It led into the kitchen. Pan found her way in the dark to a staircase & slowly made her way up. His scent ended at a door that she recognized to be his & Bulma's bedroom.

Did she knock or just go right in? Maybe she should just leave & go home. Before she could make a decision, the door swung open to reveal a devil in black. Vegeta had discarded his mask & the red tie around his neck hung loose.

"Are you going to come in, woman, or would you rather loiter outside my door all night?"

"I was actually thinking about leaving. It's getting late & I'm really tired-"

"Get in here," Vegeta demanded. He knew what she really wanted; lust was evident in her onyx eyes. After a moment's hesitation, she crossed the threshold & entered his quarters.

 **Author's Note:**

Do you hate me for ending it there? I do. I don't like cliffhangers, but it started to get too long again. I'll make sure to have the next chapter up by Monday or Tuesday. Hope everyone had an awesome weekend. See you soon!

-Chels xoxo


	4. Feathers

**Here's the conclusion to last chapter. Just a friendly reminder that this is an M rated story & there will be lemons. This whole chapter is pretty much one. Not your thing? No problem. Skip it. I won't be offended. For everyone else, enjoy! By the way, last chapter's title is another song by Breaking Benjamin. They're amazing :)**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: Everything will be cleared up in this chapter, doll :)**

 **To kiki700: Thanks for the review. This chapter is for you. I hope it doesn't disappoint!**

 **Chapter Four: Feathers**

"Get in here," Vegeta demanded. He knew what she really wanted; lust was evident in her onyx eyes. After a moment's hesitation, she crossed the threshold & entered his quarters. A cold wind was coming through an open window, making her shiver…or maybe it was the result of something else. In an instant Vegeta had Pan up against the now closed door & was kissing her feverishly once again. He was still uncomfortably hard from their earlier kiss & he was growing increasingly impatient.

Pan kissed him back, but she couldn't shake the guilt she was feeling. She heard a click as Vegeta locked the door behind her. He then brought his hands up to her face to remove her black mask, allowing him to see her entire face.

"You look nervous, little one. You needn't worry; no one will interrupt us."

"That's not what's bothering me. I'm worried because of the whole 'you're married' thing. Don't you care?"

Vegeta scoffed. "Earth customs mean nothing to me."

"Your wife means nothing to you?"

At this, he paused & thought for a moment. He spoke after a minute of silence. "I care for Bulma. She helped make me into the man I am today. Our relationship was forged from loneliness, though, not love. We gave each other comfort at a time when we needed it the most & then stayed together because it was convenient."

Pan was still confused. "I don't understand, Vegeta. You care about Bulma & yet you're kissing _me_ , touching _me_. What if she finds out? I don't know if I can live with the guilt if I ruin what you two have, even if it is a marriage of 'convenience'."

Vegeta began to shake with laughter. Pan couldn't believe him. She was struggling with what her heart wanted & what was right & he was laughing at her! The damage was already done; they'd already betrayed Bulma with that kiss & he seemed to find the situation hilarious. The feisty Saiyan smacked him in the chest.

"It's not funny! Saiyan or not, you live on Earth now & you have to honor the vows you made. I want you, Vegeta, but if we act on those urges, I know I'll regret it. Yes, I came up here with every intention of having sex with you. Now that I'm here, though, in the bedroom you share with your wife, I don't think I can."

The pompous prince was still chuckling lightly as he asked, "Are you done with your holier-than-thou speech?" Pan glared at him but nodded. "Good, because I have something to show you."

He grabbed her hand & led her to a series of dresser drawers. Vegeta opened every one & Pan was confused as each one turned out to be as empty as the last.

"This was Bulma's dresser," Vegeta clarified. "It's empty because she moved to a room down the hall. We haven't shared the same bed since we agreed to separate. That was a couple months ago."

"So you're not together?" Vegeta shook his head. "Does anyone know?" He shook his head again.

"Actually, I think Yamcha might. Only because I'm almost certain him & Bulma are seeing each other again. Other than that, no one knows."

"Why haven't you told anyone? That's a pretty big secret to keep & you could've told me before you kissed me, jackass."

"Bulma wants to put off telling anyone for the kids' sake. It's ridiculous seeing as they're both adults. She's overprotective, though, & that's her wish."

Pan looked at her feet & blushed. "So this is okay, this one night stand or whatever this is?"

"it's more than okay." Vegeta placed his lips on hers, kissing her gently at first & then becoming rough & demanding. His hands came up to cup her face as he slowly pushed her towards the bed. She felt the backs of her legs hit the mattress. Vegeta's hands brushed the black feathers of her wings before moving to the zipper of the dress that they were attached to. He heard her heart speed up as he undressed her. "Relax, little one," he breathed against her lips. "You're not the first angel to fall for the devil."

The dress fell to the floor, leaving Pan in nothing but her undergarments & boots. He unclasped her bra & Pan allowed it to join her dress on the floor. Vegeta pulled back to look at her half naked body.

"Beautiful," he whispered & Pan blushed a deep crimson at his scrutinizing gaze. "My son is a fool for choosing another over you."

Pan didn't know what to say to his compliment. It was so unlike Vegeta to say things like that. The dark prince nudged her gently so that she fell backwards. He removed her shoes & his own before climbing over her. His warm, soft lips met hers again, his tongue delving inside to explore her mouth while his hands explored her body. _So soft,_ Vegetathought _, so perfect._ His right hand came to a stop at her breasts. He pinched one of her nipples between his thumb & forefinger, twisting & pulling, causing Pan to whimper into his mouth. He left her lips & kissed his way down to her chest. Pulling her right nipple into his mouth, he lightly grazed it with his teeth. Pan moaned loudly & her fingers found their way into his hair, ripping off the horns that had still adorned his head.

 _He must really be the devil because his mouth alone feels so sinfully good. And I'm his fallen angel._ Vegeta sucked & licked her right nipple while his hand kneaded her left breast. Pan couldn't stop the moans & whimpers falling from her mouth. After a moment, Vegeta moved his mouth to her other breast & repeated his ministrations. The young woman pulled at his hair with every swipe of his tongue & graze of his teeth. When he was finished with her breasts, he moved his mouth back to hers. Pan suddenly realized that he was still fully dressed & started unbuttoning his black dress shirt. While she worked the buttons on his shirt, Vegeta's hand found its way to the hemline of her panties & wasted no time slipping beneath the fabric.

The sensation of his fingers on her most private area made Pan squirm under him & moan even louder. The Saiyan Prince swallowed her moans greedily. Then without warning, he plunged two fingers into her aroused center. Pan pulled away from his mouth & cried out.

"Oh, Vegeta! That feels so good!"

He continued to move his fingers in & out of her at a fast pace until she was sweating & writhing beneath him. When he felt her walls begin to tighten, he removed his fingers, licking them clean. He groaned at her sweet flavor. Pan whimpered at the loss of his fingers. The ache she felt was intense; she needed him inside her.

"Please, Vegeta," she panted. "I can't wait any longer…please."

"Tell me what you want, little one? I need to hear you say it."

"You, I want you! I need you inside me now." She was practically in tears, her need was so great. The proud Saiyan woman was willing to beg just to get some sort of relief from the pain in her loins that this man had caused. She was positive that he could have her begging on her knees if that's what he wanted.

Vegeta smirked at her as he got up & removed the rest of his clothing. His smirk widened when he noticed Pan staring at his large length. "See something you like, little Saiyan?" The girl on his bed could only nod. Tearing off her panties, Vegeta once more took his place atop her. He spread her thighs & settled between them, placing his hardness at her moist entrance. The older man closed his eyes & took a deep breath. _At last._ With that thought, he slammed into Pan.

She screamed as her walls stretched to accommodate him. He was a little bigger than Trunks & it had been so long since anyone had made love to her that it took a moment for her body to get used to the intrusion. Vegeta thrust into her at a steady rate, but his body was tense as if he were holding back. Pan cupped his cheeks & looked into his dark eyes.

"You don't have to hold back with me, Vegeta. I'm not a full human; I can handle it. Stop being so in control all the time. Please, I want all of you."

He didn't hesitate for a moment. Vegeta started thrusting into her harder & faster. He couldn't help the groans that were escaping his lips. Vegeta was an experienced man, but this was beyond anything he had ever felt before. The difference between being with a human & a Saiyan was extremely noticeable. _This is what it's like to be with a Saiyan female? I feel so deprived. This is incredible. I can't believe this is what I've been missing all these years._

Pan moaned his name, turning him on even more. "Vegeta, Vegeta, Vegeta. More, I want more. Please."

Grunting, Vegeta raised his power level & pounded into his lover with hard, rapid strokes. His hips were moving at lightning speed. The sound of their ragged breathing & moans filled the room. He could feel her walls begin to tighten around him again. His release was approaching quickly as well. With that approach came an urge. The urge he had before to mark her as his mate & if he couldn't ignore it then, he definitely couldn't do it now while buried inside of her & on the brink of climaxing. Vegeta's thrusts were becoming desperate & erratic; he was so close. Almost without warning; he exploded. Baring his teeth, Vegeta bit into Pan's neck as he came with a prolonged, deep groan.

The pleasure-pain of Vegeta's teeth sinking into her skin & the feeling of his seed filling her up triggered Pan's own orgasm. She couldn't help her own primal urge to bite the prince's neck as she tried to muffle her scream of ecstasy. A copper taste filled her mouth, but Pan was so lost in the clouds that she barely noticed. As she came down from her high, she lapped at the blood oozing from the wound on Vegeta's neck. He did the same to hers before collapsing on top of her, breathing heavily. When his breathing returned to normal, he fell to the side & pulled Pan into his strong arms. She sighed contentedly, still panting slightly.

They laid there for a few minutes before Pan got up. She didn't want to get too comfortable, she couldn't. Vegeta was probably going to kick her out at any moment. Might as well leave before that happened. The two had had their fun. Now it was time to go their separate ways.

"Where are you going?"

Vegeta sat up in bed. He was still naked & Pan tried not to stare as she got dressed. "Home. Where else?"

"Why?"

"Because that's where I live."

The Saiyan Prince made an impatient noise. "I meant why are you leaving, brat?"

Now dressed, Pan turned to look at him. "Well, because we're done here obviously. So I'm going to head out."

Before she could leave, Vegeta asked her, "You have no idea what we've done do you, little one?"

Pan rolled her eyes. "I'm not ten. I know exactly what we did."

Vegeta stood from the bed & walked over to her. He didn't bother dressing & Pan had to concentrate really hard to keep her gaze focused on his face. "Look." He pointed to a bite mark on his neck. Vaguely, Pan remembered biting him in a moment of extreme pleasure.

"Sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"It was instinct." He touched Pan's neck & she winced in pain. She walked over to a mirror hanging on the wall & saw a mark in the same place as Vegeta's.

"I didn't know you were a biter, Vegeta."

He walked up behind her & put his arms around her waist. Pan stiffened, taken aback by the affectionate gesture. "You're the only one I've ever bitten & the only one I will ever bite. We are bonded, little one. Forever."

Pan spun around in his arms. "What?"

"When a Saiyan finds his or her life mate, they will bite them on the neck. This mark bonds them & can never be broken. You have marked me & I, you. It's a ritual more permanent than your idiotic institution of marriage. I am yours now & you are mine…Princess."

Her head was swimming as she tried to absorb all this new information. _Bonded? Marked? Princess?! Maybe Vegeta is messing with me. That has to be it. I've never heard of this bonding thing before in my life. He must've made it up. Right?_ But in her heart, she knew it was true. Ever since they were intimate, Pan had felt like a piece of herself that she didn't even know was missing had been restored. She looked into Vegeta's eyes  & any doubts she had were quickly wiped away by the adoration she found there.

"This is a lot to take in. I had always thought my feelings for you were just a silly school girl crush, not something cosmic or whatever. When did you figure out I was…yours?"

The full-blooded Saiyan thought for a moment. "Tonight, I think. It all became clear when I first kissed you, tasted you. I've wanted you for years, little one, but I thought it was simply lust that drove me. It was more than that, though. I can see now that it was a predestined, primal need to claim my true mate. After years of fighting that animalistic instinct, I couldn't resist anymore & I didn't want to."

"You've wanted me for years," Pan repeated. "You could've fooled me, Vegeta. I was always 'brat' or 'child' to you. A sparring partner. If you were trying to be subtle, you nailed it. I started dating Trunks because I felt like nothing to you."

Vegeta nuzzled her neck. "Forgive me. If I knew what my feelings for you meant back then, I would've claimed you in an instant. I hated seeing you with my son & not me. It was always hard for me to restrain myself when I was around you, but you belonged to Trunks. Regardless of what I've done in the past, I didn't want to hurt him & at the time I thought he was your mate. You belong to me now, though. Do you accept me, Princess?"

"Hmm…Princess, huh? I can get used to that." Smiling, Pan wrapped her arms around Vegeta's neck. "I accept you, my prince." She kissed him on the lips softly. It quickly turned heated; Vegeta slipped his tongue once more into the warm cavern of her mouth. Pan moaned & moved her hands to his hair. His own hands moved again to the zipper of her dress, but Pan reluctantly pulled away before it led to round two. "I seriously need to go. If my parents get home before me & find out I'm not there, they'll worry."

"If you insist." He squeezed her tighter to his chest, though, not wanting to let go. She could feel his excitement pressing into her. "I expect to see you for training tomorrow. It took you awhile to catch your breath earlier. We should work on that." He gave Pan a playful smirk & wink & she lightly punched his arm.

"What if I already have plans?" She asked.

"Cancel them." He left no room for argument, not that she actually had plans anyway.

Vegeta walked her to the door. Pan turned back before leaving. "Maybe we should keep this to ourselves for awhile. I don't think my family would approve."

"That's acceptable. Everyone thinks I'm still with Bulma anyway. It would be wise to keep our bond a secret until she's ready to reveal our separation." Vegeta leaned down &, instead of kissing her goodbye like Pan thought he was going to do, sniffed her neck, inhaling their mixed scent. "You might want to clean up when you get home. You smell of me."

Pan giggled. "I'll be sure to do that." She was on her way out the door when Vegeta grabbed her arm & pulled her back, kissing her deeply. The girl was breathless when he finally released her lips.

"Sleep well, little one,"

"Y-yeah. Yeah, y-you, too," she stammered. "I'll, um, see you tomorrow I guess." Vegeta smirked as he watched Pan walk down the hall with the occasional glance over her shoulder before she rounded the corner & disappeared. Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough for the Saiyan Prince. He returned to his room, closing the door behind him, & made his way to the en suite bathroom to shower. He didn't want to wash away her delicious scent, but it was better if he did. If someone smelled Pan on him, questions would be asked & while he didn't care if people knew, he respected the wishes of the women in his life, his princess most of all.

Lost in thought, the usually vigilant warrior didn't notice the object lying near the foot of his bed; it was a single black feather from Pan's angel wings. A cool breeze entered through the still open window & the feather was blown under the bed & further out of sight.

After his shower, Vegeta plopped down on his bed, exhausted. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow. Unbeknownst to the sleeping Saiyan, evidence that could reveal his secret relationship with Pan lay directly below him.

 **Author's Note:**

How was it? Too much on the sex scene? Not enough? Lemons are a lot harder to write than you think, so be nice, please. I wanted to let you guys know that I'm going to be updating once a week from now on unless I'm able to get a chapter out sooner. The reason being that I don't want to burn out too quickly & leave ya'll hanging for weeks at a time. I don't like when that happens to me, so I won't do it to you. Also, I've kind of been neglecting things. I hate being 25. Responsibilities am I right? How do Monday updates sound? Good I hope because that's when you'll hear from me next. Until then!

-Chels xoxo


	5. I Knew You Were Trouble

**Another chapter! A little late, but I went to Six Flags over the weekend & that took up a lot of my time. Thank you to everyone who has followed, reviewed, or just glanced at my story. You guys are awesome! Chapter four's title is a song by Coheed & Cambria. **

**To SLee: I'm going to keep you in suspense for a few more chapters. I love your reviews. Keep 'em coming! :)**

 **To kiki700: Here's some more for ya!**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: I can't tell you who will find it. That'll spoil it ;) Hang tight because it won't be for a few chapters I think. I'll try to keep you entertained until then.**

 **To Spellweaver10: You never know. Goku isn't as naïve as people think ;) And I'm glad you liked the lemon. I was really nervous about it :)**

 **To Guest: Thank you for your sweet review, hon! I'm so happy my story is one of your favorites. Let's hope I can keep you interested :)**

 **Chapter Five: I Knew You Were Trouble**

 _That really happened._ Pan's mind was still reeling. Half of her believed that it was a dream & she'd wake up any moment in a cold sweat. The ache between her legs, however, was physical proof that she was awake. Meaning what just occurred between her & Vegeta had, in fact, been real. They were bonded. For life. It was a strange feeling to be tied to someone forever, but a good one as well. The tightness in her chest as she walked further away from Vegeta was a clear sign that she belonged with him, to him. The string that connected them was being pulled taut with each step she took, but Pan had no choice; she had to go home. She wasn't sure if she could make up a believable lie to tell her parents if she spent the entire night with Vegeta, so it was better this way. Sure she was an adult, but they'd still want to know where their daughter had been all night.

Pan was so lost in thoughts of her new mate, that she nearly ran into Bulma who was walking up the stairs as she descended.

"Oh, hi, dear." Her words were slurred. _She's drunk,_ Pan deduced. That was typical of the blue-haired woman. She always had too much to drink at her parties.

Pan had hoped to be out of there before she ran into anyone. She panicked, hoping Bulma wouldn't ask too many question about why she was upstairs.

"H-hey, B-Bulma," Pan stuttered.

"What are you still doing here? Goku said you left awhile ago."

"I did. I mean, I was just leaving. Right now. I had to do something real fast. Guess Grandpa forgot to mention that part."

"That's just like him, huh?" Bulma giggled.

"Is the party over?" Pan asked, hoping it wasn't. That would mean her parents were on their way home.

"It is for me, honey. I'm exhausted. Everyone else is still downstairs, though. Except for Vegeta. I haven't seen him for a couple of hours now that I think about it. He probably went to bed already." Pan couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks at the mention of his name. _Oh, he's been in bed alright but he definitely wasn't sleeping._ She couldn't believe she was having these thoughts about Vegeta with his wife staring right at her. She had to get out of there before Bulma noticed her flushed face & the bite mark on her neck from her estranged husband.

"W-well, th-thanks for inviting me, Bulma. I had a wonderful time." _If she only knew how good of a time. Damn. Stop it, Pan!_ The younger woman cleared her throat. "Good night."

"Night, dear."

Pan raced down the stairs. She couldn't risk any more run ins. Bursting out the front door, she flew into the sky & headed home as quickly as possible.

Vegeta wasn't sure how long he had been asleep when he heard his bedroom door open. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he sat up to see the outline of a woman in the doorway. He grinned, thinking it was Pan.

"Back for more, Princess?"

"Princess? You've never called me that before."

The Saiyan's eyes grew wide at the sound of Bulma's voice. "What the hell are you doing in here, woman? Did you forget that your room is down the hall now?"

"Always so surly. Let's put a smile on your grumpy face." Her voice had become seductive as she walked towards him. "What do you say, Veggie? For old time's sake."

Vegeta could smell the alcohol on her breath as she climbed onto the bed & crawled over to him, straddling his lap. His nose crinkled at the foul odor. "I say no. Go ask that fool Yamcha. I thought you had your claws in him again."

"Yamcha & I got into a fight."

"What else is new?" Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Find someone else then. I'm not interested."

"C'mon, Veggie, how can you say no to this?" Bulma grabbed the hemline of her bumblebee dress & pulled it over head, leaving her in just a pair of panties. Her husband was unaffected by her naked chest. It paled in comparison to his mate's perfect breasts. He lifted Bulma off his lap & tossed her to the side. "What the hell, Vegeta? You never say no to me."

"There's a first time for everything. Now go to your room. You're drunk & you need to sleep."

Suddenly, Bulma began to cry, surprising the Saiyan Prince. "No one wants me!" She wailed.

"What the-"

"You don't want me, Yamcha doesn't want me, nobody wants me. I'm old & gross."

"Calm down, woman. I'm sure Yamcha still wants you. It was just a damn fight."

"And you?"

Vegeta let out a frustrated sigh. "We've been over this. Our marriage has run its course. I don't know why you need me to remind you of all of this. You're the one who moved out of our bedroom. You instigated this separation, not me, even though I wholly agree with it. Now if you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to leave my room."

Silence filled the room. A few seconds later, he heard light snores coming from his wife; she had fallen asleep. Vegeta growled in annoyance. He was too tired to move her. He'd let her sleep & then kick her out in the morning. After throwing a blanket over her sleeping, half naked form, he laid back down & fell asleep himself, images of his princess invading his dreams.

 **The Next Morning**

Pan woke up early to a loud, shrill sound. She looked around, confused for a moment, to find it was her alarm clock. Sitting up in bed, she stretched & then shut it off. _Six in the morning. What the hell was I thinking?_ Last night, after getting home at midnight, Pan decided to get up bright & early so that she could get an early start on training. Now she was seriously regretting it. Pan got up & started walking to the bathroom. She winced, feeling an ache between her legs. Suddenly, it all came back: the party, the kiss, the intense sex... _Vegeta._ Before she knew it, a smile had appeared on her face _. He's the reason I got up so damn early. I can't wait to see him._

Now completely awake, Pan practically skipped to the bathroom. She quickly showered & brushed her teeth & then returned to her room to get dressed. Once that was done, she made her way to the kitchen to prepare some coffee. Before she entered, Pan looked at her reflection in the hallway mirror, making sure her long, black hair covered the bite mark on her neck just in case there was someone already in there.

Pan walked into the kitchen & saw her father standing by the counter, already brewing a pot of coffee.

Gohan smiled at his daughter. "Good morning, Panny."

"Hey, Papa. You're up early."

"I was going to say the same thing to you."

"I'm going to Capsule Corp to train with Vegeta. He insisted we do it today. He implied I'm getting weak." Pan fought a blush as she remembered what had caused him to make that implication. She couldn't tell her dad, but according to Vegeta, she was out of shape simply because it took her awhile to catch her breath after they had had sex.

Gohan chuckled. "That man has a one track mind. Are you going to eat before you go? You're going to need your strength if you're going up against Vegeta."

Pan shook her head. "I'm not really that hungry. I'd love some coffee, though, please. No cream, just a bit of sugar."

Her father gave her a stern look. "Pan, you need to eat something. Your mother will kill me if I let you leave the house on an empty stomach."

"You know I'm 22 right? An adult? I can take care of myself."

"You know I'm still your father right? No matter what age you are? Take an apple or banana with you at least."

Pan rolled her sighs. "Fine." Pan grabbed an apple for the road, or rather the sky. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Gohan replied. He walked over to his daughter, handed her a cup of steaming hot liquid & kissed her on the forehead. "Have a good time, but don't let Vegeta push you too hard. It's been awhile for you."

"Don't worry, Papa. I can handle him." _I handled him pretty well last night._ This time Pan couldn't stop the blush spreading across her cheeks, so she rushed to the cabinet to get the sugar, using the doors to hide her face so her dad wouldn't see it.

Pan drank her coffee hurriedly, burning her tongue in the process. She kissed her father on the cheek before she exited out the front door. Once outside she took flight, enjoying the early morning sunshine & her apple as she flew to Capsule Corp.

She landed outside the gravitation room figuring Vegeta would already be in there (he was always up before the sun to train), but when Pan entered, he was nowhere to be found. Shrugging, she stretched & started doing some warm up exercises. An hour later & there was still no sign of Vegeta. She was growing bored; she needed the older Saiyan to spar. Frustrated, Pan decided to go look for him. _He's probably eating or maybe he's even still sleeping. It's not like him to sleep in, but he was up late last night._ Pan smiled. _I guess that's kind of my fault._ Opening the back door, Pan entered the kitchen to find Bulla.

"Hey, girl!" Bulla greeted her with a huge smile. Pan could never understand how her best friend could be so cheerful & perky in the morning.

Pan gave her a half wave & a smile. "Hi, Bulla. Do you know where your dad is? I've been waiting for him for an hour. We're supposed to train."

"He isn't in the gravitation room?" Pan shook her head. "Weird. Daddy is usually in there by now."

"I know right? He wasn't there when I got here, though."

"I haven't seen him all morning. He's probably still sleeping. All those early mornings must have caught up to him. My dad's strong, but not even he can fight the sandman."

Pan laughed. "Well, I'm going to go wake his lazy ass up."

"Panny, you know he's not a morning person."

The dark-haired girl laughed again. "Bulla, he's not an anytime person. He's in a perpetual state of grumpiness."

Bulla giggled. "I guess you're right, but keep in mind that I warned you."

"I'll remember." Pan started walking out of the kitchen when Bulla called her back.

"Wait! I forgot to ask you something. My 21st birthday is coming up in a couple weeks & my mom's throwing me a huge party. Can you make it?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss my best friend's birthday for anything."

The blue-haired girl jumped up off her seat & hugged her friend. "Thanks, Panda. Come by an hour before so you can help me get ready."

Pan rolled her eyes. "You don't need my help, Bee; you always look great, but fine. I'll come by early just so you can ask me to choose between two dresses & then ignore my choice & go with the other option like you always do."

"I do not do that!"

"Yes you do & it's okay. I know you have a better fashion sense than me so I don't take it personally. Now let me go, please. I need to hunt down your dad."

"Oh all right, but when he's done with you, come up to my room. I want some Pan time, too."

Laughing, Pan said, "You got it."

When Bulla finally released her, she left the kitchen & climbed up the staircase. She arrived at Vegeta's bedroom door & noticed it was slightly ajar. Pan pushed it open as quietly as possible. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dimness in the room. When they did, she found that Vegeta was indeed still asleep…but he wasn't alone. There was a woman in bed with her mate. Her back was to the door. A blanket covered her lower half & Pan could see that her upper body was completely naked. The head of blue hair on the pillow left no doubt as to who it was. _Bulma._

Pan was confused for a moment. _Didn't Vegeta say she didn't share the room with him anymore? If that's true, then why is she in here? Why is she naked? Did they-? No. He wouldn't have betrayed me like that. But then why are they in bed together?_ So many questions were running through her head. Pan was trying to figure out why there would be a naked Bulma in Vegeta's bed. She kept coming to only one conclusion. No matter how much she didn't want to believe it, it was the only explanation.

Lies. It was all lies. Bulma never moved out of their bedroom. They obviously still shared the same bed. _He must've hidden all her clothes in the closet or something to make it look like she didn't sleep in there anymore,_ Pan guessed _._ Vegeta only told her they were separated so she would sleep with she fell for it. Just like she fell for Trunks' lies. But this hurt more than when she found out Trunks had cheated on her for a year  & a half while they were together. They were no longer dating when Pan found out about Cecilia. Her & Vegeta had made love just last night. She thought they really had something, were bonded like he said, & that made the pain much more intense & the sense of betrayal a lot greater. _Maybe he made that bonding shit up._ The heartache she felt contradicted that thought, though. It felt as if her heart was being torn in two. As if the piece reserved especially for Vegeta was being cut out with a rusty pair of scissors. _It shouldn't hurt this much if it was just sex, right?_ But the man she once considered her mate clearly didn't think it meant anything as he slept peacefully next to his wife. _I'm like Cecilia now. We were both seduced by taken men. What is it about me that keeps attracting cheating assholes? I should've known he was trouble. This is my own damn fault._

Pan couldn't stand to look at the sight in front of her any longer. She turned away & shut the door a little more aggressively than she had meant to. Tears threatened to fall as she hurried down the stairs, but Pan forced them back. She couldn't break down here; she had to get home first. Knowing Bulla would notice the pained look on her face if she left through the kitchen door, Pan went out the front door instead & then she flew home, going faster than she ever had before in her life.

 **Author's Note:**

Uh oh. How's Vegeta going to get out of this mess? Find out next Monday!

-Chels xoxo


	6. I'm Not Okay (I Promise)

**New chapter! And it's a day early. Oh, & unless you've been living under a rock, you should know that last chapter's title is a song by Taylor Swift. If you do live under a rock & haven't heard the song, then that's fine. Just know it's catchy as hell. **

**To SLee: Don't worry. Vegeta will make everything right…somehow. And thank you for the sweet review. You're awesome :)**

 **To TheSprout: I won't keep you in suspense for long…or will I? ;)**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta:** **All your questions (well most of them) will be answered in this chapter :)**

 **To kiki700: I made this chapter a little longer for you, hon**

 **To Guest: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Thanks for your review! :)**

 **Chapter Six: I'm Not Okay (I Promise)**

Vegeta awoke to the sound of his bedroom door closing loudly. He looked to his right & saw that Bulma was still in his bed. _I thought that was the sound of her leaving. If it wasn't her who shut the door, then who? Bulla maybe?_ The sleepy Saiyan got up  & went into the bathroom & took a hot shower. When he was done, he wrapped a towel around his waist & went back into the main room to find Bulma still asleep.

"Woman! Wake up & get the hell out." He shouted.

Bulma opened her eyes & looked around blearily. "Wh-what? Vegeta? What are you doing in my room?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes & sighed, annoyed. "You are in my room & I would appreciate it if you left."

"Your room? Why am I…?" Bulma trailed off as memories of last night suddenly bombarded her. She stood up quickly, pulling a sheet around her semi nude body. Her head was pounding but she ignored it. "Oh my god! I am so sorry, Vegeta. I was drunk & well, I had an argument with someone. I was feeling lonely I guess. I just needed some company."

"You & Yamcha had a fight, I know. As I understand it, that's all you two did when you were first together. I don't know why you expected things to be different this time around. I guess you just like conflict & drama in general. Now if you want to avoid another fight, I suggest you leave my room. I need to get dressed."

Bulma glared at him. "You're so insensitive. I'm upset & you're trying to get rid of me. I swear, you Saiyans only understand one thing. You can't comprehend anything more complex than fighting. Do you even have feelings, Vegeta? Because you sure as hell don't act like it."

"I can assure you that I do have feelings. In fact, right now I'm experiencing anger because you won't GET THE FUCK OUT!"

"Can you yell that a little louder, Vegeta? I don't think they heard you in space!" Bulma approached her estranged husband until she was directly in front of him & added, "I remember now why I left you. You can be such a dick." Then she stormed out of the room, shutting the door so forcefully behind her that the walls shook.

"And you're just as fucking delightful as ever!" Vegeta yelled sarcastically at the closed door. He stood there for a couple of minutes trying to get his breathing under control. _That woman always finds new ways to piss me off,_ the warrior thought, agitated. After he finally calmed down, Vegeta dropped his towel & went to the closet to grab his training clothes. He was eager to get to the gravity chamber; Pan was coming over that day for a sparring session. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips at the thought of his mate. Last night's events flooded his mind & he found it hard to contain the growing bulge in his pants. He couldn't wait until Pan was in his arms once more. The distance between them was almost unbearable & he longed to have her close again.

Finished dressing, Vegeta went downstairs to the kitchen & saw his daughter putting her used dishes in the sink. Bulla gave her father a bright smile. "Good morning, Daddy." Vegeta just grunted at her, too distracted by thoughts of Pan. Bulla continued talking anyway. "I see you're ready to train. Pan must be happy about that. Where is she by the way?"

The Saiyan Prince turned to look at his youngest child when she mentioned Pan. _Why would she be asking if he knew of Pan's whereabouts? Does she suspect something?_ He decided to play it safe & asked, "How should I know? I haven't seen her since the party. The brat's probably at home."

Bulla looked confused. "No, she's here. We were talking a few minutes ago, but then she went upstairs to look for you. You didn't see her up there?"

 _Pan is upstairs looking for me?_ Vegeta paled. If she went upstairs to search for him, she would've checked his bedroom first. She would've seen Bulma in his bed. She would've gotten the wrong idea. _Wait. There's no need to jump to conclusions. Perhaps Pan didn't go to my room at all._ But then another, more disturbing thought occurred to him. _The door. Was it Pan? Was she the one who slammed my bedroom door? I thought it was Bulla but now… There's only one way to find out._

"Bulla, have you been to mine & your mother's room this morning?" He hoped that it was her & not Pan.

The demisaiyan shook her head. "Nope. Why?"

Vegeta paled even more. "I was just wondering. I'm going to go look for the brat." He left the kitchen & started searching the house for his mate. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that she had seen him & Bulma in bed together & he had to find her so he could explain to her that it was nothing, that what she thinks happened, didn't. But she was already gone. He couldn't find her anywhere in the large house. Assuming she had gone back home, Vegeta decided to look for her there.

Pan was barely holding it together as she pushed open the front door. She could smell food being prepared in the kitchen. She tried to sneak past the kitchen entryway without anyone seeing her, but her mom must've heard her come in because she suddenly appeared before Pan could make it across. Videl looked surprised to see her.

"Pan? Your father said you went to Bulma's a couple of hours ago to train with Vegeta. Are you done already?"

The young woman's heart clenched at the mention of her ex-lover's name, but she put on a brave face so her mother wouldn't get suspicious.

"We actually didn't train at all. I didn't even see him." _But I did see him. I saw more than I would've liked to actually._ More tears began to form in her eyes & Pan blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of them before her mom saw. _"_ I left because I wasn't feeling well."

"Oh sweetie, you're feeling sick?" Videl touched Pan's forehead with the back of her hand. "You do feel kind of warm & you look flushed. Maybe you have a fever. Your eyes are a little watery, too. You should go lay down. I'll make you some soup."

"Thanks, Mama, but I'll be okay. I will take a nap, though."

Pan started walking away when she felt a familiar ki approaching. Vegeta. She began to panic. _Why is he coming to my house? Maybe he's mad because I didn't stay to train? I should've told Bulla not to tell him I had been there. I can't face him. What am I going to do?_ She rushed into the kitchen after Videl who had resumed cooking breakfast. Her mother stood in front of the stove flipping pancakes.

"Hey, Mom?"

Videl turned around to face her daughter. "What is it, honey? Did you change your mind about the soup?"

"Vegeta's on his way here & I need you to cover for me. He's probably upset that I got sick & left without telling him & I'm really not in the mood to deal with him right now. You know how he gets about training. In his mind, being ill isn't a good enough excuse to go home. It'd have to be something fatal for him to even consider excusing me from practice."

Her mother's nostrils flared as her temper rose. "I cannot believe that man sometimes. It's a perfect excuse not to practice! If he is indeed on his way to my house, then I'm going to give him a piece of my mind & maybe a piece of something else. I'll make him regret this little visit of his. Expecting my daughter to train while she's sick; he's insane!"

"Mother, calm down! Just tell him I'm not here. That you don't know where I am. It'll be easier that way, I'll smooth things out when I see him next." _If I ever see him again that is,_ Pan thought to herself.

"Why can't I tell him you're sick?"

"I told you: that isn't an excuse to him. Please, just do what I said & try to act normal when you see him. If you act any differently, he'll figure out that I'm here," Pan said quickly. Vegeta was close. Really close. She had to get to the safety of her room. .

Videl still looked confused, but agreed anyway. "Okay, honey, if that's what you want me to tell him, then I will. Now go get some rest." Not needing to be told twice, Pan suppressed her ki & hurried to her bedroom.

Vegeta landed in front of the Son home & pounded on the door. He tapped his foot impatiently while he waited for someone to answeri it. He was about to barge in uninvited when Videl appeared in the doorway. She glared at him & he glared back.

"Vegeta."

"Where's Pan?" Vegeta asked, forgoing any & all pleasantries.

"I don't know. Last I heard she was at Capsule Corp with _you_." Videl practically spat the last word. She had promised Pan she would act normal, but now that she was face-to-face with him, she was finding it hard to control the urge to knee the pompous prince in his royal family jewels.

"Well, she's obviously not with me if I'm looking for her," Vegeta snapped. "I thought she might be here."

"She isn't." The overprotective mother had to bite her tongue to stop herself from saying anything more. She wanted to verbally tear Vegeta a new one. _Physically tearing him a new one wouldn't hurt either, though,_ Videl thought with a small sadistic smirk _._ However, the less she said, the less likely the chance she would slip up & give away Pan's location.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at his mate's mother. _She's lying. Pan is here. She has to be. Why else would her mother be acting so cold towards me? She knows I upset her daughter somehow._ He was tempted to push past her into the house to find his Pan, but he decided against it. That would definitely raise some questions.

"Okay, Videl. Since she 'isn't here', would you be so kind as to let her know I'm looking for her? She missed her training today & I'd like to hear her reason for it."

"Sure thing, Vegeta. Bye bye now." Videl gave him an overly sweet fake smile & then slammed the door in his face.

Vegeta was almost positive that Videl was lying to him at Pan's request. But he was desperate to find his princess & he wouldn't give up that easily. He quickly located Pan's bedroom window & hovered outside, trying to peer inside, but the curtains blocked his view. There was no way of knowing if she was in there or not. He couldn't see past the closed curtains & he couldn't feel her ki. He couldn't even sense her through their newly formed bond. Vegeta was growing frustrated. He needed to see his mate, needed to talk to her.

Pan had just made it into her bedroom when she heard a loud knock. She quickly shut her door, locking it behind her. Then she ran to her window, locking it as well & yanking the curtains closed. When she was done securing her room, she crawled under the covers & finally let the tears she had been holding back fall. After a couple of minutes, she heard the front door close & she breathed a sigh of relief. _He's leaving._

No sooner had she thought that than a shadow appeared outside her window. The spikey-haired silhouette could only belong to one person. _Shit, it's him. If I stay quiet, he should go away… I hope._

"Princess?" Vegeta knocked lightly on the window. "Princess, are you in there?"

The broken-hearted girl began to cry harder at the sound of his voice & his nickname for her. She couldn't believe he had the nerve to still call her that after what he had done to her. Pan muffled her cries in a pillow. As much as she wanted to go to him, she couldn't. He had lied to her & used her, made her feel special, like she was the only one who mattered to him when he clearly thought otherwise. She was just a conquest to him, another notch on his fucking belt.

"Please, little one, if you're in there, answer me."

The floating man called out to his mate, but was met only with silence. His keen Saiyan hearing could detect noises coming from inside the house; he wasn't sure if it was Pan, though. He continued to hover near her window for over an hour, listening & waiting, hoping it would open to reveal the gorgeous face of his Saiyan princess. But that didn't happen & Vegeta became more & more discouraged as the minutes passed. _Perhaps the woman was telling the truth. Maybe Pan really isn't here._ After a few more minutes, Vegeta decided to go home & come back the next day.

When Vegeta's shadow disappeared at last, Pan started to feel cold. She didn't know why her body reacted that way to his absence. Emotionally, she was heartbroken & angry, but physically, she craved him. Her body still wanted its mate, even though her head was screaming that he was never hers in the first place. Their "bond" was nothing more than fabricated garbage told to her by a man looking to fulfill his perverse fantasies. If he wanted to cheat on his wife, then fine, but why'd he have to choose her? _Maybe it was because I was an easy target. He probably knows that naive, gullible little Pan falls for everything & believes any man who says nice things to her. He saw his son do it, so he did it, too. And yet I still want him. He abused my trust, but I feel incomplete without him. _Pan laughed humorlessly. She was pathetic. He used her & her body still yearned for him. No matter how badly she ached for Vegeta, though, she was determined to avoid him at all costs.

 **Two Weeks Later**

Avoiding Vegeta was a lot harder than Pan had originally thought. For the first week after what she now deemed the "incident", he would show up at her window, knocking & calling her name. Each time she ignored him. Sometimes she would lock herself in the bathroom when she couldn't endure the sound of his voice anymore. If he was there when she had to leave for work, she would have to sneak out of her own house & take a hover car into the city because flying required her to use energy & that would definitely alert Vegeta to her presence. She didn't want to do these things, mostly because it was tedious & exhausting, but also because running away from him felt wrong. Every day she had to fight the urge to open her window & jump into his strong arms. She was determined to stay away from him, though. Unfortunately, the farther away she was from him, the colder she felt.

It wasn't just the constant chill that plagued her. At night she tossed & turned in her sleep, Vegeta's face haunting her dreams. Sometimes Bulma was there, too, & they'd make love right in front of her while she was forced to watch. Pan would wake up every time in the middle of the night, covered in a cold sweat, tears running down her cheeks. She could never fall back to sleep after those dreams. The female Saiyan got less & less sleep every night, resulting in her being extremely tired & irritable during the day.

Eventually, Vegeta stopped showing up at her house. Pan hoped that things would get better without him appearing every day & constantly reminding her of her pain, but nothing changed. She continued to take her car to work because she was afraid he would still sense her if she flew, her nightmares didn't stop, & the unpleasant feeling of coldness remained. Her appetite started to suffer as well. Food no longer appealed to the normally ravenous Saiyan. Deep down, Pan knew what her body really wanted & it was willing to refuse sleep & food until it got it. Needless to say, it had been the longest twelve days of Pan's life.

Gohan & Videl were growing increasingly worried about their only child, however, every time they asked her what was wrong, she simply said, "I'm okay. I promise." They assumed the cause of Pan's distress was the mysterious illness that she had come down with days ago, but she insisted it wasn't.

"Over worked maybe?" Gohan theorized with his wife that morning over breakfast.

"I don't think so, Gohan. She has a regular nine-to-five shift & her boss doesn't allow overtime. It's something else. Sometimes I hear her crying at night. I've tried to talk to her about it but she keeps saying there's nothing wrong."

Gohan paused for a moment, deep in thought. "Do you think this has anything to do with Trunks? This all started around the time she found out he cheated."

"I suppose. It's possible she ran into him at Capsule Corp that day she went to train with Vegeta. Maybe they got into another fight & she faked an illness so she could come home."

At that moment, the subject of their conversation walked in. Pan had heard everything. "Will you two stop with your ridiculous theories? I told you I'm fine." She went to the fridge & grabbed a bottle of water.

"We're worried about you, sweetie," Videl said.

"Yeah, Pan. You haven't been acting like yourself lately," Gohan added.

Pan sighed. "I know & I'm sorry that I'm worrying you. I've just had a lot on my mind. I really am okay, though." _Or at least I will be. Most likely. Possibly._

Her father stood up & embraced her. Pan welcomed his hug, even though it wasn't his arms she wanted around her. Gohan kissed the top of her head. "We're here if you ever want to talk, Panny. It doesn't matter what it is, we'll listen. Okay?"

Gohan's words brought a fresh batch of tears to her eyes, only this time they were brought on by guilt. Pan was lying to her parents & keeping secrets from them. But she couldn't tell them what was wrong with her. No matter how understanding they promised to be, she knew they would freak out if they knew what had happened between her & Vegeta. The only choice she had was to carry the burden on her own.

When the two pulled apart, Pan averted her eyes so her father wouldn't see the tears in them. "Thanks, Papa," she said. "I'll remember that. I have to leave for work now or else I'm going to be late. See you tonight."

"You aren't going to eat anything?" Her mother asked.

"No thanks, Mama. I'm not that hungry." Her parents exchanged troubled looks, which didn't go unnoticed by the 22-year old. To ease their minds, Pan added, "I'll eat on my break, okay?"

"Make sure that you do." The older woman didn't look convinced but decided not to press the issue. She kissed Pan's forehead & gave her a quick hug before she left. "Have a good day, honey. We love you."

"Love you, too," Pan called over her shoulder. She got into her car & started her commute to work. On the way, she got a text from Bulla. She ignored it while she concentrated on driving. When she was settled in at her desk a half hour later, she unlocked her phone screen & read the message.

Bulla: I'm mad u, Son.

The dark-haired woman rolled her eyes. Her friend often got mad at her over trivial little things so she was used to these kinds of texts.

Pan: What'd I do this time, Bee?

Bulla: U seriously 4got what 2day is?

Pan racked her sleep deprived brain, but she couldn't figure out what Bulla was talking about.

Pan: I didn't forget. My brain just misplaced the information. How about a hint?

Bulla: It's my b'day u bitch! I can't blieve u didn't remember :'(

Her eyes widened. She forgot about her best friend's birthday. She was a bitch.

Pan: Oh Dende, I am so sorry, Bee. I've been really out of it lately. How can I make it up to you?

Bulla: Well 4 starters, u can keep ur word & come over early 2nite & help w/ my outfit.

Pan: You got it. I get off at 5p. What time do you want me over?

Bulla: Party starts 8 so get here 7 yeah?

Pan: I'll be there. Oh, & Bulla?

Bulla: Yeah?

Pan: Happy birthday! :)

Bulla: Better late than never :p

Pan: Shut up. It's only 9am. It's only been your birthday for a few hours.

Bulla: Whatever. C u 2nite!

Pan: Later.

The secretary put her phone back in her purse & was in the process of answering e-mails when a horrifying realization dawned on her. _Bulla's party is going to be at Capsule Corp. Where she lives. With her parents. With Vegeta. No, no, no. I don't think I can do this. I have to cancel._

Pan was in the middle of a text to Bulla informing her that she wasn't going to be able to make it when she paused, fingers poised over the screen. She couldn't cancel just because she was afraid of seeing her ex mate. It would break Bulla's heart if she wasn't there. Vegeta was causing her to lose sleep, weight, & her sanity; she refused to lose her oldest friend, too, because of that man. Besides, she'd have to see him eventually. The Sons & Briefs were practically family so avoiding him was impossible. It'd be better to get the awkward confrontation out of the way as soon as possible. Then maybe her life would go back to normal. _Obviously the stress of facing him again is what's been affecting my sleep & appetite. For a second I thought it was something deeper, but it has to be the result of anxiety….right? Once I see him again, I should be okay. After tonight, I'll finally be done with him. _

_She's coming._ His princess was going to be at Bulla's party tonight. Vegeta was going to see her for the first time in almost two weeks. Those twelve days had been hell for the Saiyan Prince. He barely slept or ate, he even stopped training. Vegeta knew it was because of Pan's absence. A Saiyan wasn't meant to be away from his mate for so long. Even when one would go on a mission to conquer a planet, their mate always accompanied them. His reason for living was ignoring him & his mind, body, & soul were suffering. Tonight, though, he was going to see her again. Tonight, he was going to reclaim his mate & Dende help whoever got in his way.

 **Author's Note:**

Vegeta's on a mission. Will he succeed? You'll all find out next week!

P.S. To the wonderful kiki700 (again): I hope this update was long enough for you. I wanted to make it longer, but I just had to end it there. It was too perfect. Forgive me?

-Chels xoxo


	7. Jealous Guy

**Here's an early Halloween treat for all my fantastic readers. It's my longest chapter yet. I really hope you guys like it.**

 **My Chemical Romance sings last chapter's title. They're my favorite band. Anyone else like them?**

 **To SLee: Haha. You're seriously great. I don't mind that you keep saying that in every review. It lets me know I'm doing something right.**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: I want to answer all your questions but I don't want to spoil anything for you. I will tell you that Bulma & Vegeta won't announce their separation at Bulla's party (that would be a major buzz kill if they did) & that the feather won't be discovered just yet. **

**To kiki700: Glad you liked it :)**

 **Chapter Seven: Jealous Guy**

"Wow, Panda. I think you look better than me." Bulla stared at her friend with wide eyes. Pan was wearing a burgundy colored dress with a hemline that was a couple of inches above her knees. It was sleeveless & had a sweetheart neckline. The bluenette was wearing a dark blue dress that was even shorter than Pan's & had a plunging neckline that showcased her impressive cleavage. Bulla had done their make up, giving them both a sexy smokey eye & the pair's lips were painted red.

For the last hour, the two women had been preparing for the party. After work, Pan went home to shower & to grab an outfit. When she got to Capsule Corp, she hid her car around the corner & easily snuck in through Bulla's open window. The girl wasn't in her room at the time, so Pan didn't have to answer any questions on why she didn't use the front door, however, she did scare her friend quite badly when Bulla came in a few minutes after her break in. They immediately got to work after the blue-haired girl's heartbeat returned to normal. As expected, Bulla rejected the dress Pan chose for her, opting for the second option, & she even made the quarter Saiyan change out of the jeans & shirt she had planned on wearing to the party & forced her into the dark red dress she now wore.

Bulla had just finished curling Pan's hair, making it fall in soft waves down her back & over her shoulders. All that was left for them to do was a final check in the mirror & then they would be ready to join everyone else downstairs.

"That's your fault, Bee. You're the one who dressed me up like a doll."

Bulla giggled. "You're right. Oh well. I needed you to look presentable tonight & I definitely succeeded. It's my best work yet I think."

"Presentable?" Pan asked, confused. "Why do I need to look presentable at _your_ birthday party?"

Her friend grinned slyly. "You'll find out soon enough. Now c'mon, Son. Let's go celebrate me."

 _She's obviously up to something, but what? Whatever it is, I'm sure it won't be good._ "Whatever, Brief, but don't get mad if everyone pays attention to me because of this little make over." Pan stuck her tongue out at the birthday girl.

"I don't need the spotlight on me all the time." The two girls stared at each other for a few seconds before they burst into a fit of giggles. "Yeah, I didn't believe what I was saying, either.

Still laughing lightly, Pan bent down to slip on her shoes. The dark-haired beauty's hands shook as she slipped on a pair of black stilettos, also forced on her by Bulla. She could sense Vegeta on the ground floor & she wondered if he knew that she was right above him. He probably did. Pan was his daughter's best friend & they always attended each other's birthday parties, rain or shine. She decided to stop suppressing her ki since it was likely that Vegeta already knew she was in his home. Gathering all her courage, she followed Bulla out of her bedroom & down the stairs. Pan took a deep, shaky breath as everyone turned their heads to look at them when they entered the large room.

Vegeta was impatiently waiting in his usual corner for Pan to enter the ballroom. Bulla had told him earlier that his princess was going to get there early to help her get ready. She had arrived about an hour ago & every so often since then, the prince would pass by his daughter's room just to hear Pan's voice & her laughter. It had been too long since he had any sort of contact with her, but now they were in the same house, under the same roof. She was so close & it was driving him crazy that he couldn't go to her yet. He had to wait until she was alone before he could approach her & make the girl his again.

Lost in his obsessive thoughts of Pan, Vegeta didn't notice Goku until he was right in front of him. "Vegeta! How's it going?"

"What do you want, clown?"The shorter Saiyan snapped.

"I guess Bulma wasn't kidding," Goku chuckled while scratching the back of his head. "You've gotten a lot grumpier. I didn't think it was possible."

"And I didn't think you could possibly get any dumber, but you prove me wrong every time you open your big mouth."

Goku simply laughed again at his rival/friend's insult. He was used to Vegeta's snide remarks. The back & forth banter between the two was nothing new. In fact, it was the only kind of verbal interaction that occurred between them. Still, it was hard for Goku to miss that he was indeed more irritable than usual. Vegeta also looked thinner & had dark circles under his eyes. It reminded the Saiyan warrior of his granddaughter.

"Are you sick, Vegeta? It looks like you got whatever Pan has."

The Saiyan Prince didn't let it show on his face, but his heart sped up at the mere mention of his mate. "What are you talking about, Kakarot? I'm not ill."

"Are you sure? Because Pan has lost weight, too, & according to Gohan, she hasn't been sleeping well, either. Looks like you're the same way. Apparently she caught something the day after Halloween."

The day after Halloween. That was the day Pan saw Vegeta in bed with Bulma, or at least he assumed she saw them together. It was the only explanation for why she was avoiding him. She must be suffering as well. She needed him & he needed her & their bodies knew it.

"How is the girl doing?" Vegeta couldn't help asking. This was the first he's heard of her wellbeing in two weeks & he had to make sure she was okay.

"She says she's fine. That's my little Panny, though. She's always trying to be tough." Goku smiled fondly as he talked about his only grandchild.

 _Your little Panny? She's mine, clown, mine; & she's going to be reminded of it tonight. _Vegeta was debating whether or not to punch his rival in his goofy face when Bulma strolled over.

"Hey boys," she greeted.

"Hi, Bulma," said Goku.

Vegeta growled. "Woman."

He had been especially unpleasant towards her since the morning she woke up in his bed. It was her fault, after all, that Pan wasn't speaking to him.

The scientist glared at her husband. "I just came over to let you guys know that the girls are on their way down. Once the birthday girl gets here, the party can officially start."

She was right. Pan was no longer hiding her ki signature from him so he was able to sense her & she was close. She was going to walk into the room any second now…

A hush fell over the crowd as the two young Saiyan females appeared, one in blue & the other in red. All eyes were on them, especially Bulla. Vegeta's attention, however, was focused entirely on his stunning mate. Her beauty was indescribable. He always thought she looked best in red & the dress she was wearing reminded him why. The color contrasted beautifully against her pale skin. As his gaze wandered over her deliciously curvy body, he had to exercise every last bit of control he had to not throw her over his shoulder & carry her to the nearest room or closet & tear that dress off. When his eyes moved back up to her face, he noticed that she was looking everywhere but at him.

 _This is going to be a lot harder than I thought._ Pan's heart was beating a mile a minute as she & Bulla neared the latter's parents & Goku. She could feel the heat of Vegeta's gaze on her, but she didn't look at him. She was afraid she'd lose her nerve if she did & run in the opposite direction; or even worse, she feared she'd get caught in the black abyss of his eyes & give herself to him again without a second thought. Her body was already reacting to him; it could tell even without looking that he was near by. The chill that had invaded her bones was disappearing with each step toward Vegeta. It felt as if she were being thawed, growing warmer & warmer as the gap between them became smaller & smaller.

All too soon, they had joined the small group. Her grandpa smiled at her with worry in his eyes. That's the only way people looked at her nowadays. Friends, family, colleagues. Everyone looked at her with concern for her health & sadness because of what Trunks did to her. She despised that look, hated that people pitied her.

"Hey, kiddo," Goku said. "You look amazing."

"Thanks, Grandpa. You look nice, too." Pan eyed the brown suit he was wearing. "I see Grandma made you dress up this time."

Goku scrunched up his nose in disgust. "Unfortunately, yeah. You know they call these things monkey suits? I didn't until Krillin made a joke about how I'm a monkey in a monkey suit. I don't get it, though. I've never seen a monkey wear one of these. Bubbles certainly didn't."

Bulma laughed. "It's just slang, Goku. Don't think much of it."

"Kakarot thinking? That would be a first."

Before Pan could stop herself, she turned her head reflexively to look at Vegeta when he spoke. Although he was talking about her grandfather, he was staring at her as he said it. His piercing dark eyes were intense as they locked onto hers, holding her captive. The anxiety & fear she was previously feeling began to dissipate & the longer she stared into those onyx orbs, the more complete her heart felt.

In her peripheral, the young Saiyan noticed stubble on Vegeta's face, almost enough to be a beard. It was odd to her since, aside from a terrible mustache he had years ago, the man was usually clean shaven. _He never neglects to shave. It's kind of hot, though. Mm...I want to feel his stubble on the insides of my thighs while he- No! Stop it, Pan! He used you remember?_

He did use her. He used her & it felt amazing. She wanted to feel that way again. She was on the verge of giving in. Her plan to confront him & then be done with him was quickly being forgotten. The pain & distress she had been experiencing for days was actually gone, leaving her to wonder why she ever wanted to be rid of this man in the first place. Pan wanted him & it appeared that Vegeta wanted her, too. Lust was evident on his face, as well as…anger?

 _Woah, wait._ _Is he mad at me? Why the fuck is he angry? He has no right to be after what he did. What he did…I forgot for a moment but now…_ Everything started coming back to her as if it had happened yesterday: the joy she felt when they "made love" & then the pain when she saw him in bed with his wife the next morning. The same wife that was standing beside him. Seeing them together put everything back into perspective. Fury spread throughout her body, drowning out all the desire she had felt before. _He chose her, not me. He lied to me & it almost completely broke me. I can't let it happen again. It's time to move on, despite what my body wants. _

When their eyes met, a deep sexual craving flooded Vegeta's body. It had seemed like a lifetime since their last encounter, since he last gazed upon her flawless face. He had been deprived of his princess because of what Bulma had done…but it wasn't all her fault. Admittedly, he was to blame as well. He should've thrown her out instead of letting her stay until morning. A part of him blamed Pan as well. She hid from him & ignored him. She didn't give him a chance to clarify what she had witnessed, so he spent half a month in agony. He could tell she suffered, too, like him, but it was unnecessary. It could have all been avoided if she had just allowed him to explain in the beginning. A strong annoyance began to taint his lust & he knew it was visible on his face. Vegeta noticed Pan's own expression change from want to sorrow to anger. The older man could also feel it through their bond. The girl was angry & Pan was a force to be reckoned with when she was upset. _This could get ugly._

"Watch what you say about my grandpa, Vegeta. I don't like it when you insult him," Pan growled.

Even though Vegeta was expecting her hostility, he was still taken aback at first. He knew that her outrage wasn't because he had insulted her grandfather. She was angry at him for different reasons, but she couldn't bring it up with everyone watching them, so she used Goku as a cover. "I'm just stating the facts, brat."

"If you want to start naming some facts, then fine. Here's a couple for you. My grandfather is a better man than you'll ever be. He's never let anyone down, especially me. I can't really say the same about you, can I?"

The prince narrowed his eyes at the enraged girl. "I don't recall ever letting anyone down when it really mattered. If you feel that way, then you have false information. Maybe you misinterpreted a past situation, jumped to conclusions. Things aren't always what they first appear to be you know? Even a child knows that."

Pan's ki rose. If there was one thing she hated, it was being referred to as a kid or, worse yet, being treated like one. "Did you just call me a child, asshat?"

Vegeta opened his mouth to reply when Bulla interrupted him. He had almost forgotten about the people around them.

"Okay you two. Calm down. I'm not really sure what's going on anymore, but don't make my birthday all about you."

Pan realized she was making a scene & blushed. "I'm sorry, Bee. I don't know what came over me. Your dad just has that effect on people I guess. I promise that one day I'll make it through a party without getting in an argument with one of your family members."

Goku laughed, breaking the tension. "You've always been a feisty one. You get that from your grandmother. Vegeta's hot headed, too. It's not really a good combination unless you're sparring, then you can put that aggression to good use."

While staring at Vegeta, Pan said, "You're totally right, Grandpa. Vegeta & I are terrible together. I don't know what I was thinking starting something with him. Worst idea I've ever had." The double meaning behind her words was lost on everyone except for the prince. A look of hurt flashed across Vegeta's face, but it was gone as fast as it had appeared. Pan saw it, though, & she couldn't help but feel a little guilty: but anger was still her body's reigning emotion & her guilt was soon forgotten. _Whatever pain my words cause him is nothing compared to the pain he has caused me._

Before Pan could say or do anything else, her blue-haired friend grabbed her arm & started pulling her away. "Bulla, what the hell are you doing?" She exclaimed.

Bulla waved goodbye to her confused looking parents & Goku as she dragged Pan off. "No offense Mom & Dad, but I can't spend the entire night with my parents. We'll be back later." To the girl who's arm she gripped, she said, "There's someone I want you to meet. His name is Paul."

"Paul? Is he the guy you've been seeing?"

"No! Why would you ask that?"

The 22-year old smirked. "I saw the hickeys on your neck, Brief. I know you have a new boyfriend."

Her best friend blushed a red so dark it almost matched Pan's dress. "I thought I covered those," she mumbled to herself.

"Well you didn't do a good enough job," the dark-haired woman said while laughing, having easily overheard her. "So if Paul's not your new boyfriend, then who is?"

"He's an older guy. I don't really feel like talking about him right now." Pan narrowed her eyes. Something was up. Bulla loved to talk & her favorite subject of conversation was herself. The girl was definitely hiding something. She decided to let her best friend enjoy her birthday & then pester her for details tomorrow.

"Fine. Don't tell me about your mystery man if you don't want to. Explain to me who Paul is & why you want me to meet him so badly."

"You aren't normally this slow." Bulla rolled her eyes. "Think about it: I dressed you up all pretty like & I'm taking you to meet a boy. It's not that hard to figure out, Panny."

Pan began to put two & two together fast. _Bee said she had a reason for making me "presentable" earlier & now she's about to introduce me to one of her male friends… _"Hold on a second. Are you trying to hook me up with this guy?!"

"Ding ding ding. You got it, Son. Look, there he is over there." The hybrid Saiyan pointed to a man standing near the bar talking to a couple of other guys. He was tall with dark brown hair. As they got closer, Pan noticed his eyes were a beautiful shade of green. The white dress shirt he wore clung to his upper body, showcasing his toned chest & stomach, & his broad shoulders filled out his blazer perfectly. Overall, he was definitely not bad to look at. "Hey Paul!"

Paul smiled at Bulla. "Hey birthday girl." He hugged her & then directed his attention to Pan. "Is this your friend I've heard so much about?"

"Yup, this is Panda."

Pan glared at her old friend & then turned back to Paul with a small smile. "It's just Pan. Nice to meet you." She held out her hand for the tall boy to shake, but he didn't take it. Instead he engulfed her in a hug, much to Pan's surprise & dismay.

"The pleasure is all mine." He released her from the awkward embrace after a few seconds. "I've really been looking forward to meeting you." The bright smile he gave her was attractive. _But it's not as sexy as Vegeta's devilish smirk._ The thought entered her mind unbidden. _Ugh. Why am I thinking about him right now? I'm still mad at the bastard. I need a distraction._ Pan eyed the boy in front of her & grinned. _This Paul guy should suffice, if only for the night._

"Same here. I can honestly say you're all I've been able to think about since Bulla first told me about you." _That was only a couple of minutes ago but he doesn't need to know that._

Bulla giggled nervously. "Panny, Paul here is a English major like you. He's planning on becoming a teacher at Orange Star High School."

"Really? That's-" Pan abruptly cut herself off. She felt as if someone was watching her. Looking around, sure enough, she noticed Vegeta staring at her & Paul; he didn't look happy. In fact, the phrase "if looks could kill" came to mind. The sight made her grin, though. _Someone's jealous. I can have some fun with this._ Turning back to Paul, she continued speaking. "That's great, Paul. I bet you're really smart." She touched his arm in a flirtatious way knowing Vegeta would see.

Paul's cheeks reddened slightly. "Thank you, but I'm not that smart," he said shyly. "I've just always had a knack for teaching."

"Cute & humble. That combo is hard to find. I like a modest guy. Arrogant men are a big turn off." _Unless the man is Vegeta. Okay, enough, Pan! Hot, single guy in front of you. Focus!_

"I'm glad you think so. You know, you're a lot prettier than I pictured."

It was Pan's turn to blush. "You can thank Bulla for that actually. Normally, I look terrible." She turned to Bulla so she could confirm Pan's statement, but her friend was nowhere to be found. There was only an empty space where she once stood. She had snuck away while they were talking.

"Now who's being modest?" Paul chuckled. "I'm sure that's not true. It's hard to believe you can look anything less than gorgeous."

The girl's blush deepened. "Great line. I bet you say that to all the ladies."

"Nah, only you, but if it works, then I'll have to remember to add it to the list."

Pan laughed. "I've heard worse."

"Does that mean you would consider joining me for a walk outside?" Paul asked with a hopeful expression. She hesitated at first, but then nodded.

"Sure. It's a bit stuffy in here anyway."

Hooking his arm through hers, the two proceeded to make their way out of the crowded room. On the way, they passed Vegeta. He looked like he was about to strangle Paul & when he made eye contact with Pan, she smirked at him.

"Hey Vegeta, if you see Bulla, let her know that me & my new friend Paul here went out for awhile, okay? Thanks." Pan said as she walked by him.

Vegeta gritted his teeth & growled. He wasn't about to let his mate leave with another man. She was his & his alone. "Get back here, brat. I need to talk to you," he said to her retreating form.

"I'm a little busy at the moment," she said over her shoulder. "Maybe later." Her plan was working perfectly. Vegeta was getting more jealous with every passing second. For some reason, she could feel his jealousy & anger as if it were her own & she would've given the strange feeling more thought if she hadn't been so focused on her vengeance.

But how far was she willing to go with this? Was she willing to sleep with the guy in order to hurt Vegeta? Also, it wasn't exactly fair to Paul that she was leading him on simply to get back at her ex lover. The full-blooded Saiyan had to pay, though, & this was the only way she could think of to do it without physically harming him. In any case, she had to be sure to end this game before Paul got hurt.

"So that was Bulla's dad, huh?" The couple walked around the Capsule Corp building, arms still linked. Pan nodded. "I heard he was scary, but he's shorter than me. That's not very intimidating."

"Don't let his height fool you. That man can rip you apart if he wanted to."

Paul burst out laughing. "Sure he can. He can probably give my ankles a good bruising."

A wave of irritation came over Pan at his words. She didn't like that he was making fun of Vegeta's height. In her eyes, the warrior was perfect. She forced down those thoughts & feelings they brought, though, & faked a small laugh.

"Well then, it's a good thing you're out here with me & not his daughter. I wouldn't want your ankles to be in any danger."

"He doesn't have to worry about that. Me & Bulla are just friends." They had stopped walking & were now leaning against a tree near the gravity room. Pan shivered from the cold November air; or perhaps it was from something else. The chill that had been plaguing her recently was returning, chasing away the warmth she had felt when she was inside with Vegeta. "Cold?" Paul asked.

The brown-haired boy took off his blazer & placed it around the young woman's shoulders. She smiled at him, grateful. "Thanks. Bee picked out my outfit & she obviously didn't plan for an impromptu outdoor excursion."

Her companion chuckled. "I'm sorry you're not properly dressed for this weather, but I can't say I hate the way you look. You're breathtaking."

Pan noticed that he was leaning forward, their faces almost touching. He was going to kiss her! Was she going to let him? For a moment, she considered stopping him, but eventually decided against it. Maybe kissing another man would help her forget about Vegeta. She didn't know why she still wanted that man, but she had to stop.

She could feel Paul's breath on her face just before their lips met. It was a gentle, tentative kiss, nothing like Vegeta's rough, passionate ones. Pan kissed him back slowly, even though her body was screaming at her to stop. She ignored the voice in her head telling her she was kissing the wrong man.

Paul pinned her body between him & the tree as he began to kiss her harder, but Pan was having a difficult time getting into it. There was no spark as their lips moved together, no chemistry. All she could think about in that moment was Vegeta & the few times they had kissed. His kiss was incomparable. She shouldn't have been thinking about another man while making out with Paul, but she couldn't help it. Pan also couldn't help imagining that it was Vegeta pushing her up against the tree & running his hands over her, that it was his lips ravishing her. She moaned, grabbing the lapels of her partner's shirt & pulling him harder against her body. His hard member prodded her stomach, turning her on more. The man's lips moved from her mouth, down her jaw, & then started sucking on her neck. He kissed the almost healed bite there, making her shiver.

"Vegeta," she gasped in pleasure.

Suddenly, the warmth on her neck was gone. She opened her eyes to find a pair of green ones, not black, staring back at her.

"Did you say Vegeta?"

"Yes, she did," a voice said from behind Paul. "Now get your fucking hands off of my mate."

Vegeta grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt & pulled him off Pan, throwing him to the ground. He was livid. After the two had left the party, he waited a few minutes before following. When he finally found them, he was furious to find another man's mouth on the mark that represented their bond. The boy was now going to find out what happened to people who dared to touch what belonged to him.

The older man wasted no time jumping on the younger one on the ground. He started to punch him in the face over & over again. Pan was screaming at him to stop, but he was blinded by an uncontrollable rage. Vegeta heard a sickening crunch as he broke his nose. The body beneath him had stopped moving. He was barely breathing. His punches didn't cease, though, until a ki blast threw him back & off his victim. The warrior looked up, dazed, & saw Pan breathing heavily & lowering her arms. She had stopped him from the killing the human.

After she blasted Vegeta, Pan ran to Paul's side to make sure he was still alive. He had a pulse, but it was very faint. She looked at the fallen Prince & spoke urgently. "We have to get him into the regeneration tank right away."

"Why would we want to do that?" Vegeta asked while standing up & dusting off his clothes.

"Because he's dying, Vegeta!"

"He deserves to," he said with cold eyes. "No one touches you like that but me."

Pan glared at him. "He didn't do anything wrong. I'm not yours to control. If you don't want to help me save him, then I'll do it myself."

She picked up the unconscious man with some effort & started walking toward Bulma's lab where the tank was stored. If not for her Saiyan strength, she wouldn't have been able to carry the tall man on her own. Vegeta followed behind her, although he made no move to assist her.

Pan moved fast once they made it to the lab. She stripped him, put him in the tank, & placed the oxygen mask over his mouth & nose. When the large chamber began to fill with a green liquid & she was sure the boy was going to live, she spun around to face Vegeta.

"You almost killed him, asshole," Pan yelled.

"Almost, despite my best efforts. Either I'm getting weak or the kid is a lot tougher than he looks."

Pan stared at him, dumbstruck. "Are you seriously not sorry for what you did?"

"The only think I'm sorry for is that I didn't get there before he touched you the way he did. This is as much your fault as it is his, little one. You should know better than to let anyone who isn't me lay their hands on you."

"I can't believe you, Vegeta. I didn't do anything wrong. We aren't together. I can touch, kiss, even fuck whoever the hell I want. I should never have gotten involved with you. My life's been a disaster ever since. Just go back to your wife & leave me alone." Pan stormed out of the lab & practically ran until she reached the second floor bathroom. It was usually unoccupied which was good because she was covered in Paul's blood & didn't feel like explaining her appearance if she ran into anyone while they were coming out.

The raven-haired woman made it to the bathroom in a matter of seconds but before she could shut the door, someone pushed their way in, closing & locking the door behind them. Pan suddenly found herself between a wall & a body, her arms pinned above her. Struggling, she raised her head to demand that her captor release her & met the midnight black eyes of... "Vegeta."

"I'm not finished with you, Princess."

 **Author's Note:**

How awesome is Jealous Vegeta? Poor Paul, though. But he'll be okay. Pan on the other hand…Vegeta has her cornered. I wonder what's gonna happen. Oh wait, I already know & you'll all find out next week ;) Have a safe & happy Halloween & if you want, let me know what you're going to dress up as. I'm really curious. I'm going to be a gothic red riding hood (I love the color red, that's why I chose it). Anywho, see you guys soon!

-Chels xoxo


	8. Your Surrender

**Hi everyone! Hope you all had a fun Halloween. Mine was awesome. Went to a costume party at a bar. It was a lot of fun. Oh, & my boyfriend was Goku! I wanted him to be Vegeta, but Goku is his favorite character. Who doesn't love Goku, though, am I right? FYI: there is a little lemon coming up in this chapter. Also, I'm sorry it's on the short side & a day late. I was recovering from my Halloween shenanigans Sunday & I had a bunch of errands to run on Monday; but it's finally here so enjoy!**

 **Chapter seven's title is by John Lennon.**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: Thank you. You're so sweet. Tried to get the boyfriend to be the wolf but he refused. Haha. Staying home with a bowl of candy isn't a bad idea. That's what I did last year. Still, I'm sorry you couldn't dress up. I'm so used to Southern California weather that I forget it storms other places on Halloween. Hope you had a good time with your family :) Vegeta will explain everything to Pan. As for Paul…we'll see ;)**

 **To SLee: Haha. Jealous Vegeta is the best. I love him. Now Pan is going to find out what happens when she kisses another man ;) Thank you for another sweet review!**

 **To Spellweaver10: I agree; she definitely handled the situation poorly. I've seen friends do what she did, though, & I used that as inspiration. I don't deal with jealousy & betrayal well either, but I've never been as bad as them. Like I said, there is a lemon but it doesn't take up the entire chapter. Promise :)**

 **To kiki700: Thanks for your review, hon. Yes, Vegeta & Pan are finally going to make up ;) Hope you like it. **

**Chapter Eight: Your Surrender**

"I'm not finished with you, Princess."

"Too bad because I'm done with you." Pan tried to loosen the hold Vegeta had on her wrists but his grip was too tight. She suddenly realized how close they were. Only an inch of space separated their bodies. Heat enveloped her as her heartbeat sped up. "V-V-Vegeta let g-go of me & get out."

Vegeta smirked, aware of the effect he was having on the girl. "I don't think so, little one. You & I have a lot to talk about."

"I have nothing to say to you. Get out. Please." Pan knew that if he didn't leave soon, she would do something she'd regret…again.

The Saiyan Prince bent his head & nuzzled the spot on her neck where her mark was. "It's fading, as is mine. We should fix that."

Pan's eyes widened. She couldn't let him bite her again. Her will power was already hanging by a thread. If he bit her, it would be all over. The raven-haired woman began to struggle harder. "I mean it, Vegeta. Let me go! Now!"

"You don't like being touched? You let that pathetic human touch you." Vegeta growled, remembering how the boy had touched his mate; how he had put his filthy mouth on the mark that the older man had placed on her skin & that symbolized the bond he shared with his princess. That rat was lucky Pan saved him. To touch another's mate went against Saiyan law & was punishable by death & as the prince of all Saiyans, he would have made sure the sentence was carried out if not for her interference. Anger began to overtake the prince once more, but it was quickly quelled when he remembered that it wasn't the human's name she called out; it was his. He smirked. "Or did you only let him because it was me you were imagining? I think it was."

"Well I think you should go to hell," Pan spat.

"I've already been. I'd rather not go back. You know you can't replace me with that child & fantasies of me are nothing compared to the real thing."

Still struggling to get free, the dark-haired woman said, "I'm not going to tell you again, Vegeta. If you don't let me go, I'm going to scream or raise my ki. Someone will come looking for me & then you'll be in a whole lot of trouble."

Vegeta chuckled. "If you really wanted me gone, you would've done that already. Admit it, little one: you want me just as much as I want you. You're seconds away from surrendering your body to me."

"Oh yeah?" She challenged. Pan opened her mouth to scream, but the sound was smothered by Vegeta's mouth on hers.

The second their lips connected, it was all over. Her lips parted immediately, returning his passionate kiss & she arched her back, forcing her body against his & he answered her silent plea by pressing himself harder into her. His tongue entered Pan's mouth, flooding her own with his taste. They each poured all their desperation & pent up lust for each other into the kiss.

"Vegeta, let my arms go," she demanded again, but this time it wasn't because she wanted to escape. "I need to touch you."

Her lover did as he was told & as soon as her arms were free, she wrapped them around his neck. Vegeta pushed her into the wall harder & started grinding his erection against her core. Pan moaned loudly at the sudden pressure between her legs.

"Did you miss that, Princess?" Vegeta said while kissing her neck.

"Yes," Pan gasped.

"How about this?" He pushed up the hem of her dress & squeezed his hand between their bodies. Then he rubbed her clit through her panties.

She moaned louder. "Yes, yes, yes. More…please."

The older Saiyan pulled the fabric of her panties aside & directly rubbed her little bundle of nerves. Pan had to bite her lip to stop herself from screaming. Her teeth broke the skin on her lip & blood trickled down her chin.

Still rubbing her clit, Vegeta licked the blood off her skin & kissed her hard on the lips. He sucked on her bottom lip, enjoying the flavor of her blood. It was turning him on more & more with each taste. The animal in him demanded more. Pulling his mouth away from hers, he moved down to her neck & licked & sucked on her mark before biting into the flesh, reopening it.

"Oh god," Pan whimpered. Between his bite & the pressure on her nub, she wasn't going to last much longer. "I'm close, Vegeta, so close…"

Vegeta rubbed her clit with increasing pressure as his tongue lapped at the fresh wound & soon her arms tightened around him as she exploded, a long, low moan escaping her parted lips.

While she was still riding out her orgasm, Vegeta unbuttoned his pants & let them fall to the bathroom floor. He grabbed her left leg & wrapped it around his waist, pulled her underwear to the side again & drove his swollen member into her, hard & fast. This time he didn't give her time to adjust before he started ramming into her tight core with brutal & desperate strokes.

"Fuck, Princess," Vegeta said through gritted teeth. "You feel so much better than I remember."

Pan could only let out little whimpers & moans as he screwed her against the wall. She was lost in the pleasure of him inside her & his hands on her breasts, her hips, her ass.

The last time he had been with his mate felt like a lifetime ago for the Saiyan Prince. As a result, he knew he wouldn't last very long. His thrusts were becoming increasingly more erratic & his manhood was pulsing inside Pan, warning them both of his fast approaching release.

He moved his hand down to Pan's center again & began rubbing her with his thumb. Each swipe was bringing her closer to her own climax; he could feel it in the fluttering of her inner walls around his shaft.

"Come, Princess," he growled. "Come with me…now."

Vegeta's words sent her over the edge & her body tensed as she came for the second time that night. The same instinct she had the first time they were together came over her & Pan couldn't stop herself from once again biting Vegeta.

It was impossible for the prince to hold back his orgasm when he felt his mate's teeth sink into his neck & her tongue lap at the red fluid that escaped. He thrust into her three more times before his body stilled & he released himself inside of her with an animalistic roar.

The pair stayed like that for a few minutes, holding onto each other & breathing heavily. Vegeta was the first to pull away. When his eyes landed on Pan's face, he noticed tears running down her cheeks.

"Princess, are you okay?" He asked, concerned. "Did I hurt you?"

"Yes," Pan whispered.

Vegeta pulled his now soft member out of Pan, removed the girl's limbs from around his body, & lowered her leg gently back down to the ground. He then began to survey her body, but he found no evidence of an injury, aside from the bite mark on her neck. "I don't see-"

"Not physically," she interrupted. "You're breaking me on the inside, Vegeta. I can't keep letting you use me for sex & then watch you go back to your wife after. I know you're still together. I saw you two in bed the day after we 'mated' as you so eloquently called it. You lied to me. I don't know why, but it really hurt. All I know is that I haven't been able to sleep or eat…I can't live like this."

"I know you saw us together in bed, but I swear on my life that nothing happened. She was intoxicated & yes, she tried to have sex with me, but I refused her. I will refuse every woman, every time except for you because you are my mate. It's physically impossible for me to be intimate with another. I thought I already explained this to you."

Pan scoffed. "Yeah, you told me that little tale about Saiyan bonding & I have to admit that I bought it for a minute. You were very convincing. But that was before I caught you in bed with Bulma."

Vegeta growled, frustrated. "I just told you why she was in my room."

"Yeah, I know, you said she was drunk & I believe that part, but if the rest of your story is true, then why didn't you just throw her out?"

"She fell asleep & you had exhausted me so much that I didn't have the energy to carry the woman to her own room. In a way, it's your fault, too."

Pan glared at him while, at the same time, red spread across her cheeks. "Fuck you, Vegeta."

He smirked. "Yes, that's the reason I was so tired. I already told you this. Weren't you listening?"

She reddened even more. "Stop it. I may have exhausted you, but Bulma was in your bedroom because it's still her room, too. Quit blaming everyone but yourself."

Vegeta's smirk disappeared, a frown replacing it. "I'm not lying. Can't you tell?"

"How would I be able to tell something like that? I'm not a human lie detector."

Cupping her face between both of his hands, Vegeta said, "You may not think I was honest about the link we share, but I am. Anger is clouding your senses & our connection, little one. Clear your mind & then you will be able to feel what I feel &," his smirk returned, "in time, with regular mating, our bond will become so great, we will be able to delve completely into each other's minds."

"So to find out if you're telling the truth, I have to stop being mad at you so I can clear my mind; however, in order for me to clear my mind, I have to believe you're telling me the truth so I can stop being mad to do so. Do you see my problem here?"

Confused, Vegeta replied. "I can't say that I do. But try to let go of your anger for just a moment so you can finally see the truth."

Pan shook her head. "You should know me by now, Vegeta. It's hard for me to stop being angry when I'm really mad & you really pissed me off. The only time I forgot I was upset with you was when…" She trailed off, looking down.

Vegeta lifted her chin with his finger so she would look at him. "Was when what?"

"The only time I forgot was when you were kissing me & touching me. I can't seem to think straight when you do that."

He gave her a small smile. "I'm willing to kiss you again in order for you to believe me." The older Saiyan wrapped his arms around her & pressed his lips to Pan's, kissing her gently, unhurriedly.

She melted into his embrace & felt all her worries & troubles leave her. Before she could get too sucked into the kiss, Pan cleared her thoughts & tried to feel for Vegeta's. Lust smacked her in the face. It was coming from him. Under that, though, she also felt sincerity &…love? Was that directed at her? Did he love her?

Suddenly, an image entered her mind, a memory, but it wasn't one of her own. It was blurry. She could just barely make out the outline of a spiky-haired man & the silhouette of a woman on top of him. There was a flash of blue; it was Bulma. The man, Vegeta she assumed, tossed her aside & she soon fell asleep followed shortly by him. He had a smile on his face while he dreamed about…her, about Pan. Her face smiled back at her in her head as she watched his dreams like they were a movie.

She pulled back with a gasp. Pan was breathing hard as she stared at Vegeta with wide eyes. _He was telling the truth the whole time._

"Do you believe me now, Princess?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I saw what happened. I wasn't seeing it through your eyes, though. It was like I was there, watching it all happen. It was weird."

"You saw my memories?" Pan nodded & he grinned. "Our connection is stronger than I thought then:"

"Dende, I feel so stupid. I'm so sorry I didn't believe you."

"Hush, little one. You're not stupid, just stubborn. It's one of the many Saiyan qualities you possess."

"Well I hate it. It almost ruined us."

Vegeta looked at her seriously. "Never, ever be ashamed of your heritage. Our race was once the mightiest in the universe because they were stubborn & fierce warriors." His voice sounded pained but proud, too. _I forget sometimes that he had to endure the loss of his whole planet & his people. I can't imagine the pain he must feel everyday, _Pan thought sadly. "Besides, nothing could have kept us apart forever. Our bond wouldn't have allowed it."

"I don't understand," Pan said, confused.

"You haven't been eating or sleeping well correct?"

"Yeah, so? It was probably just stress or something."

Vegeta shook his head. "It was because we were apart for so long. I've been suffering as well. We would've gotten worse in time. I assume it would have become so bad that you would've sought me out, even if you were still angry with me & I myself would've burned down the entire world to find you. The bonding ritual physically ties two Saiyans together. We have to be near each other regularly, close, because of it. Our lives literally depend on it.."

"That's kind of scary," Pan commented. "To depend on someone so much, I mean. What if I died or something?"

Vegeta smiled sadly, the thought of his princess dying haunting him. "Then I would follow you."

The couple said nothing for a few minutes. Pan was trying to process all of the overwhelming information suddenly thrust upon her. She had accepted the fact that they were truly mated, that wasn't what had her mind reeling since Vegeta had already explained that to her before; it was how deep their bond went. He failed to mention how much it could affect them the first time they mated. They were linked emotionally, mentally, &, according to Vegeta, physically. If that invisible thread that she always imagined connected them was severed by one of their deaths, the other would suffer unimaginable agony. She didn't want to know what that pain felt like & she didn't want Vegeta to experience it either; however, it seemed unavoidable.

"So," Pan started, breaking the silence, "where do we go from here?"

"Well, right now you are going to join me in the shower." Vegeta smirked & Pan laughed. "We need to wash off each other's scents. As much as I enjoy my scent on you & yours on me, it'll raise too much suspicion if we don't wash it off."

Still laughing, Pan said, "I meant like do we have to live together, get married? Also, what do we do about our families? I know I said I wanted to keep it a secret for now, but when would be a good time to tell them?"

"After our first or second child is born should be a good time." Pan smacked him lightly on the chest, causing Vegeta to chuckle. "Don't worry about it for now, little one. We'll tell them when the time is right. As for marriage, Saiyan bonding is more permanent than that ridiculous human institution, but I will wed you if that's what you want; & we can figure out living arrangements once everyone knows about us. Until then, as the prince of all Saiyans, I demand that you get your ass in that shower immediately before I throw you in, clothes & all."

"You don't have the authority to boss me around. You forget, _Your Highness_ , that I am now the princess of all Saiyans & I don't have to take orders from you." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

"Be careful, _Princess_ ," Vegeta growled. "I don't react well to disobedience."

"What are you going to do about it, Mr. Big Bad Super Saiyan?" Her mate grinned evilly & Pan's smile disappeared. She suddenly regretted provoking him. Vegeta was the last person anyone would want to challenge in any way.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Without another word, he picked her up & carried her to the bathtub. He stepped in with Pan still in his arms & then turned the water on. Water from the shower head rained down on the fully clothed couple & in less than a minute, they were soaked.

"Vegeta, are you crazy?!" Pan shouted. "This is Bulla's dress!"

"You shouldn't have disobeyed me, little one."

"How am I going to explain this to her?"

"We'll say you got caught in the sprinklers while you were out walking with that rat," Vegeta said with a scowl.

Pan's eyes widened when he mentioned Paul. She had completely forgotten about him. "Paul! I have to go check on him!" She tried to get out of Vegeta's embrace, but he only tightened his arms around her.

"He'll be fine…unfortunately," he told Pan regretfully, earning him a glare from her. "His time in the regeneration tank is not yet complete, but go ahead & remove him early if you want him only partially healed. I myself wouldn't mind if he still had a broken nose."

"Do you think he will recall anything about what happened tonight?" Pan asked, ignoring his last comment; she dreaded the answer. She didn't want Paul to remember. He had heard her say Vegeta's name; if he was able to remember everything that occurred that night, then he would know her biggest secret. She wouldn't know how to explain that to him & she didn't want people to find out that way.

Vegeta could sense Pan's fear & attempted to reassure her. "Don't worry, Princess. I doubt he'll even remember his own name after the beating I gave him." His princess smiled at him slightly, but he could tell that her mind was still troubled. He decided he would try to take her mind off of the boy & her worries. Bringing his lips to her ear, he whispered, "Have I told you yet that I love this dress on you?"

His breath on her skin made Pan shiver. "No," she replied, breathless.

"Well, I do." The older man began lifting the skirt of the dress. "But I think it would look better on the floor."

Pan blushed as Vegeta pulled the soaked fabric over her head & threw it on the bathroom floor with a loud _SPLAT!_

"I thought we were supposed to be getting clean," the female Saiyan said while unbuttoning her mate's shirt.

Vegeta smirked. "We can multi task."

After they were done removing each other's clothes, he pushed her against the tiled wall & attacked her mouth with his. They made love again while hot water poured over their already overheated bodies. For Pan, her reunion with Vegeta was like a veil being lifted. Her once cloudy & confused mind was becoming clear. The answer to all of her questions was him, the cure to her suffering was him, & the cause of her complete & utter happiness was him.

 **Author's Note:**

Yay! They're back together! Ya'll already knew that was going to happen, though. I can't fool you guys. But what about Paul? Will he remember anything? Find out next week!

P.S. I know that last part of the chapter was kind of cheesy. I grew up in the 90's & I watched all those corny tv shows, so I know it when I see it. Just deal with it okay? ;) Also, let me know if the lemon was too much. I know it was short, but it seemed a little more graphic than last time. What do you guys like in a sex scene? Let me know because I will have at least 2 more in this story. Thanks!

Chels xoxo


	9. Love the Way You Lie

**It's Monday! Here's a new chapter for you guys. I hope it's better than the last one. I felt like eight could've been better don't you? Maybe I'll go back & revise it. For now, though, I'm going to focus on future chapters. I know ya'll are anxious about the feather & who's going to find it, but hang in there. We have a ways to go. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, & followed this story. I really appreciate it :)**

 **Last chapter's title is a song by Neon Trees.**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: I know how the feather is going to be found & by who, but I don't know when it's going to happen. Be patient with me :)**

 **To Spellweaver10: They definitely won't be happy about it.**

 **To kiki700: You'll see Paul in this chapter. As for Trunks, we haven't seen the last of him ;)**

 **To SLee: Their secret will be revealed eventually, but I think I'm going to let Vegeta & Pan be happy for now…or I might continue to put them through hell; I haven't decided ;)**

 **Chapter Nine: Love the Way You Lie**

Pan's bones felt like jelly as she dried off after the shower her & Vegeta had shared.

They had had sex again during their rinse & her knees still felt weak & her mind still dazed from the pleasure of it She wrapped a towel around her body & turned to face her mate who had wrapped one around his waist. It hung low on his hips & water droplets still glistened on his defined chest. She had to will herself not to stare. Raising her head, she locked eyes with Vegeta's piercing black ones & he smirked at her.

"You can stare if you like, I don't mind."

"I wasn't staring. I was observing. They're two completely different things."

He laughed. "Whatever , you say, Princess. It just so happens that I've been 'observing', too, & I noticed that it looks like you can barely stand. Is that my fault?" Vegeta winked at her.

"Shut up," Pan said turning scarlet. "I'm just tired, that's all."

Vegeta's smirk widened at the girl's obvious embarrassment. "I don't doubt it. Well, we're done with our little chat, for now anyway, so feel free to rejoin the party." _But I might want to "chat" again soon_ , the Saiyan warrior thought to himself.

The younger Saiyan glared at him. "How can I? You ruined my dress & I can't exactly go down there looking like this, unless you want everyone to stare at me."

"I wouldn't mind if you walked around in nothing but a towel, but not around other people. Your body is for my eyes only." He spoke with a possessive tone & a pleasurable shudder went through Pan's body at the sound of it. His dominant personality had always been appealing to her.

Clearing her throat, Pan said. "Well, I'm not going back to the party so you don't have to worry about that. I won't be going home either. I need to let my parents know that I plan on spending the night with Bulla," Pan told Vegeta. "I have to stay here so I can take care of Paul."

The Saiyan Prince gritted his teeth. "So you'll stay the night for him but not for me?" He asked, recalling the first night they mated & how she left after they were done. Of course, it was probably good that she didn't stay because Bulma would've caught them in bed together, but that wasn't the point.

The girl's dark eyes narrowed. "Seriously, Vegeta? You & I just had sex, twice, & you're still jealous of Paul?" He didn't reply. "I don't know why you are. You said it yourself: I can't mate with anyone else, only you."

"You sure as hell tried, though," he grumbled.

Pan sighed & rolled her eyes. "I didn't feel anything when I kissed him. It was like making out with a family member, as disgusting as that sounds. I really hate to add to your already huge ego but-" she breathed in deeply & let it out in a huff before continuing, "-I only enjoyed it when I imagined it was you I was kissing."

A small smirk slowly spread across Vegeta's face as his annoyance dissipated. "I forgot about that."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It happened, I'm embarrassed, now let's move on. You need to go back to the party while I go back to the lab."

"I'm not letting you go down there alone," he protested. "What if he lays his hands on you again?"

"Vegeta, I can take care of myself. You on the other hand...Bulla would be pissed if her father missed her entire birthday party & she's scary when she's mad."

"She won't be happy if her childhood friend isn't there either." The prince pointed out.

"True," Pan agreed. "But if she thinks Paul & I snuck off to get better acquainted, then she won't be that mad at me. She'll be too happy that she successfully hooked us up & that she was right to think we'd make a good couple. That girl loves being right." She laughed as Vegeta glowered at her angrily. "Don't give me that look. It's good if she thinks that. It'll divert suspicion away from us."

"Fine," he grumbled irritably. "Come to my room later, though, when Bulla is asleep. I want to take advantage of this little sleepover."

"As much as I love that Saiyan stamina of yours, Vegeta, I, um, think I should use tonight to sleep, just sleep," Pan muttered nervously. She was afraid he'd be angry with her for refusing him. Instead, he grinned at her.

"You're not the only one who's tired. I was only offering that you sleep in my bed, nothing more. I would love to spend all night inside of you but we can do that another time. Tonight, I only want to sleep beside you. The thought of you sleeping in my house, in my daughter's room & not mine, will drive me crazy."

"I'd like that, too, but Bulla would definitely notice if I were missing all night."

"Doubtful. The past few night's she's been sneaking out of the house & she usually doesn't return until the morning."

Pan's brow furrowed. "Really? I wonder where she goes." Suddenly, she remembered the conversation she had with her friend only a couple hours earlier. "Never mind. I think I know."

Vegeta scowled. "Yes, me too. I know who she's been sneaking off to see. I smell him on my daughter every morning."

"You know who she's dating?" Pan asked excitedly. "Tell me!"

Chuckling at his mate's enthusiastic curiosity, Vegeta said, "It's my not secret to tell, little one. Bulla will tell you when she's ready."

Pan pouted. "But mate's shouldn't hide things from each other."

"I'm not hiding anything. I'm just withholding information." Vegeta smirked. "I think you'll be surprised by who it is, too."

The dark-haired woman groaned. "Don't say stuff like that. You're only making me more curious." She grinned mischievously. "I can always just use our connection to find out."

"I can always block you from my mind."

Pan huffed. "Fine. Be that way. I'll find out sooner or later."

Vegeta wrapped his arms around Pan & pulled her close. "I believe you. I know you well enough to know that you won't let this go until your curiosity is sated."

He leaned in & kissed her gently. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes before Vegeta broke away.

"Get rid of the human & then meet me in my bedroom when Bulla leaves."

Pan, breathless from their kiss, could only nod. Vegeta slipped out of the bathroom leaving her alone. When she finally caught her breath, she remembered that she had no dry clothes to wear. _Damn you, Vegeta_. Her only option was to borrow something from Bulla's closet to sleep in.

With only a towel covering her body, Pan exited the bathroom & made her way to her friend's room. Once there, she rummaged through Bulla's large assortment of clothes. She eventually found an oversized t-shirt & a pair of boy shorts to wear. The outfit offered enough coverage so that she could walk to the lab without drawing too much attention & was also comfortable enough to later sleep in.

Pan walked down to the lab & pushed the door open to find that Paul only had ten minutes left in the tank. Technically she didn't have to stay the night since Paul wouldn't be there until morning, but she was looking forward to spending the whole night in Vegeta's bed. Besides, she had already sent a text to her mom letting her know that she wasn't coming home until tomorrow under the pretense that she & Bulla were having a slumber party, something they hadn't done since they were kids.

She sat down on a stool & waited patiently for the time to expire. The chamber beeped when the ten minutes were up & the green fluid started to drain. When the tank was completely devoid of liquid, Pan opened it & removed Paul. She carried the tall man down the hall to the infirmary & placed him gently on a bed. After a couple of minutes, he opened his eyes.

He blinked, seemingly trying to focus on the girl in front of him. "P-Pan?" He looked around, confused. "Where am I?"

Pan smiled down at him. "Hey. You're in the infirmary. Don't worry, though, you're fine."

"Infirmary? Why am I here? What happened?"

"You don't remember anything?" She asked, hopeful. When he shook his head, Pan breathed a silent sigh of relief. Then she began racking her brain for a plausible lie. "You had too much to drink at the party. I brought you here after our walk so you could sleep it off."

"That explains the headache," Paul said with a small laugh, "& the memory loss. I can't seem to remember anything after when we first started walking outside. It's not a big deal, though. This isn't the first time I've woken up next to a pretty girl with no recollection of how I got there."

Pan laughed nervously. She felt incredibly guilty for lying to the green-eyed boy & especially for what Vegeta had done to him. It was all her fault after all. Trying to make the older man jealous was a stupid move on her part. Still, she was glad Paul didn't remember anything. There was a awkward silence for a couple of minutes before Pan finally spoke up.

"So, Paul, since you're feeling better, you should probably go home. You need your rest."

"Oh, yeah, I guess I should." He sat up & Pan handed him his clothes. He raised an eyebrow. "You undressed me?"

"Um, well, you see…we got caught in the sprinklers," she lied again. "I took them off so they could dry while you slept."

"One walk together & you're already undressing me." Paul chuckled & Pan's cheeks reddened. "I wish I could remember that. Hopefully I'll be sober next time."

 _He thinks there's going to be a next time. Poor guy. I don't want to hurt him, but I don't have a choice._ "Listen, Paul, you're a really nice guy & I had fun with you tonight but I'm not ready to date anyone right now. I'm sorry."

Disappointment was clear on the brown-haired boy's face. "Oh. Okay then. That's fine. No need to be sorry, Pan. I understand."

"We can still be friends, though, right?"

"Yeah, sure. Any friend of Bulla's is a friend of mine." He smiled at Pan but it didn't reach his eyes.

Her guilt intensified as she stared at the downhearted man, but there was nothing she could do to ease either of their suffering. They walked to the front door together. Paul gave her a quick hug & a kiss on the cheek & was about to leave when he suddenly stopped.

"Vegeta," he said.

All the color drained from Pan's face at the mention of her mate's name. "What?" She asked, praying she heard him wrong.

Standing in the doorway, Paul turned back around to look at the nervous girl. "I could've sworn we saw Bulla's dad when we were on our walk. In fact, I'm pretty sure I remember you saying his name so we must have."

"Oh, um…," Pan mumbled, trying to come up with yet another lie. "Yeah, we saw him. He helped me carry you to the infirmary." She hoped he didn't notice the slight pause in her words.

"That makes sense," Paul laughed good-naturedly. "I should have known; a small thing like yourself couldn't have carried me all the way there on your own."

"Nope. I couldn't possibly have done it on my own. He helped." _I suppose in a way Vegeta did lend a helping hand in putting Paul in the infirmary. He helped Paul into that bed by smashing his face in, so it's not technically a lie._ Pan looked down  & shuffled her feet anxiously. She needed him to leave before he remembered anything else.

"Well, tell him I said thanks next time you see him. I guess he's not as bad as everyone says he is."

Despite her guilt, Pan had to stifle a giggle at what he had said. _You wouldn't be thanking him if you knew what he had done to you_ , she thought to herself.

"I'll let him know. See you around, Paul."

"Night, Pan." He gave her one final wave as he walked toward the sidewalk & then he was finally gone.

Pan shut the front door & then ran back up the stairs to Bulla's room. She collapsed onto her bed & replayed everything that had happened that night. It was definitely eventful. She probably felt every emotion in the book that night: anger, anxiety, guilt, lust, happiness. A small smile pulled at the corners of mouth. She finally felt like her old self again…& she was starving! The past two weeks of barely eating anything had finally caught up to her. Now that she was reunited with Vegeta, she could feel it. She was fatigued & famished. _Food first, sleep later._

Hopping off of her friend's bed, Pan hurried downstairs to the kitchen in search of food. There she found every inch of counter space covered in all types of delicious food &… Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince was sitting at the table & munching on a plate of egg rolls. He looked up when Pan entered the room & smirked.

"Hello, Princess. Hungry?" He asked.

"Very," replied the younger Saiyan. "Apparently you had the same idea as me. You better not eat all of it."

"I couldn't possibly eat all of this. I'm not Kakarot. Help yourself."

"I've seen you eat, Vegeta. You & Grandpa Goku aren't that different." Pan laughed at the scowl on her mate's face.

"Kakarot & I are nothing alike. I'm a Saiyan elite & he's a lowly foot soldier."

Pan pretended to be offended. "I'm his granddaughter; does that make me a simple peasant, too, unworthy of being in the presence of a prince? Should I avert my eyes, oh Great One?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes at her sarcasm & then grabbed her arm & pulled her onto his lap. "No. You're a princess remember?" He started leaning in for a kiss when they both heard footsteps heading for the kitchen. Pan jumped off of Vegeta's lap just as Bulla entered. The blue-haired girl did not look happy.

"Where the hell have you two been all night? Did you have something better to do than celebrate my birthday with me?"

The mated pair exchanged a quick glance before Pan looked away, blushing. She busied herself with fixing a plate of food before she answered her angry friend.

"Sorry, Bee, I was hanging out with Paul." That was partially true. "He left a little while ago."

The anger on Bulla's face disappeared & was replaced with curiosity & excitement. "You spent all night with him?! Tell me everything right now. Are you going to see him again? Did you kiss him?"

Pan looked up from her massive plate of food & held up her hands. "Bulla, calm the hell down. Yes, we spent the whole night together & yes, we-," the dark-haired woman glanced at Vegeta again before continuing, "-kissed."

Bulla squealed. "I knew you two would hit it off. You're perfect for-." The bluenette stopped talking abruptly & eyed her friend's outfit, seeming to just realize what she was wearing. Her eyes widened. "Wait, you aren't wearing what you were earlier. Paul just left & you're wearing different clothes…did you sleep with him?!"

Pan's own eyes widened. "What?! No! Of course I didn't!" Out of the corner of her eye, Pan saw Vegeta crush an egg roll in his fist & she felt anger & annoyance rolling off of him in waves.

"Oh, I get it." Bulla whispered. "You don't want to tell me in front of my dad. That's cool. We'll talk later." She winked.

The raven-haired girl groaned, partly in embarrassment & partly in frustration. She decided to let her best friend think whatever she wanted for now & then correct her later. She was too hungry & didn't have the patience to tell the blue-haired girl what had really happened with Paul, or rather the fabricated version of what had happened.

"Fine. Whatever." Pan said.

"Are you two brats done gossiping?" Vegeta growled. "I'm trying to eat my damn meal in peace."

Rolling her eyes, Bulla said, "Sorry, Daddy. I'll leave. I'm about to open my presents anyway. You two don't have to be there. Dad, you seem extra grumpy today & Panda, I'm sure you're exhausted from tonight's …activities." With one last wink at Pan, Bulla turned & left the room.

As soon as she left, Pan ran to Vegeta & threw her arms around him, hiding her face in his neck.

"I'm sorry about that. Please don't be mad at me, Vegeta, please." The words came out muffled but she knew he could hear her.

After a moment, the prince wrapped his own arms around Pan's waist & squeezed her tight against him. His anger slowly left him, his mate's body heat lulling him into a state of calm. He buried his nose in her hair & inhaled her delicious scent, further calming himself.

Placing a kiss on the side of her head, he pulled back to look at Pan. She lifted her head & stared back with her big, dark eyes. He couldn't help but smile.

"I'm not mad at you, little one. Bulla & that pathetic excuse for a human maybe, but not you."

Pan smiled back. "Good, because I am starving & I don't have the energy for an argument right now." She gave him a light peck on the lips & then returned to her food, immediately gulping it down.

Vegeta shook his head & grinned. "You weren't kidding. I wonder what you did to work up such a large appetite." _Not that I don't already know_ , he thought.

Narrowing her eyes at him, she said with a mouthful of food, "It wasn't just that. You know I haven't been eating that much lately. It finally caught up with me."

"For me as well. I can probably beat Kakarot at an eating contest right now."

"Me too," Pan snickered.

The two ate in silence, going through plate after plate of food. They were fortunate that Bulma made plenty of food for the party or else they wouldn't have been able to eat to their heart's, or rather their stomach's, content.

Exhaustion hit Pan like a freight train when she was done eating. Food wasn't the only thing she had gotten very little of the last few days. Her entire body felt heavy as she got up from her chair & tried to walk back to Bulla's room. Every step was torture. She was considering just sleeping on the floor when she was suddenly lifted into the air. She raised her head & saw Vegeta above her. He had picked her up & was carrying her upstairs.

"Vegeta?" It sounded like she was speaking with a mouth full of cotton.

"Quiet, little one. I'll take you to your bed." Pan nodded once & rested her head on Vegeta's hard chest. She closed her eyes & before she knew it, she was being placed on a soft mattress & warm blankets were being pulled over her. Before he left, Vegeta whispered in her ear. "I'll come back for you when Bulla leaves for the night." He kissed her forehead affectionately & then was gone. A second later, Pan slipped into a deep sleep.

 **The Next Morning**

The first thing Pan noticed when she woke up was warmth all around her. She smiled contentedly, eyes still closed, & snuggled closer to the source. She was about to fall back to sleep when something tightened around her waist, alarming the half asleep girl. Her eyes flew open & the first thing she saw was a man's chest. Breathing heavily, it took her a moment to realize that it was Vegeta.

Sitting up, she placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart. She had thought for a moment that a strange man had found their way into Bulla's room & crawled into the bed with her while she slept. _Thank Dende it's just Vegeta; but how did I end up in his room?_

Pan's breathing had just returned to normal when a voice spoke behind her making her jump & her heart speed up again.

"Is everything okay, Princess?"

She looked over her shoulder & met the sleepy black eyes of her mate. The raven-haired woman smiled as she remembered last night. Her & Vegeta had made up & everything was back to normal.

"Yeah, everything's okay. I was just a bit startled that's all. How did I get in here? I'm not prone to sleep walking, or at least I don't think I am."

Vegeta chuckled. "I told you I would come back for you once Bulla had left & that's what I did," he explained.

"Oh, I barely remember that. I guess I was pretty out of it."

"You were. You didn't wake up at all when I carried you to my room."

Pan rubbed the remaining sleep from her eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's around eight," Vegeta answered.

Her eyes widened. "Shit! Is Bulla home yet? I have to be back in her room before she gets back so she doesn't expect anything."

Vegeta wrapped an arm around her waist & tugged her back down onto the bed so that she was lying beside him again. She laid her head on his chest, his steady heartbeat calming her. She felt the vibrations in his chest when he spoke.

"That girl probably won't be home for another hour or two. We have plenty of time to spare."

"Good," Pan sighed, "because I don't feel like getting up yet."

The couple laid there for a few minutes in comfortable silence. Pan was beginning to think that Vegeta had fallen asleep again but then he started speaking.

"As much as I would enjoy spending all day with you in bed, I have to go train. It's been awhile."

Pan giggled. "How long is awhile for you: half a day?"

"Try twelve days," he replied.

The young Saiyan raised her head to get a better look at the older man. He wore a serious expression; he wasn't kidding.

"Wow. Being separated from each other really did a number on you didn't it? I've never known you to skip training before."

Vegeta eyed his mate closely. She was a lot skinnier than she had been two weeks ago, but at least she wasn't as sallow looking as she was last night. Her complexion looked healthier. A good meal & a good night's rest could do wonders. "You didn't fair any better. We need to get you some more food & then you're finally going to join me for a long overdue sparring session."

Pan's face lit up with excitement. It had been ages since she had last trained & even longer since she trained with Vegeta. He was her favorite person to spar with because he didn't hold back. Her family was always afraid that they would hurt her, but Vegeta was always willing to take that risk. She jumped out of the bed & hurried to the door.

"I'm going to take a quick shower & then I'll meet you in the kitchen in fifteen minutes." She was about to pull open the door when the sound of Vegeta's voice stopped her.

"Not so fast, little one. I know you're excited, but I expect you to eat a decent meal before we start. Also, you're not going to be happy about this, but we should take it easy today. I don't want to hurt you."

Pan groaned. "Seriously? Now you're going to treat me like a baby, too? I liked sparring with you because you weren't like that. You're just like my dad & grandpa now."

In the blink of an eye, Vegeta was in front her. She had forgotten how fast he was. Pan let out a loud gasp & jumped back against the door in surprise.

"First of all, do not compare me to your father & especially don't compare me to Kakarot. We've been over that. Second of all, look at you? You have lost too much weight. You're not strong enough to go against me even when I'm at a third of my full strength. Lastly, be happy I'm sparring with you at all. As your mate, my instincts to protect you are going to prevent me from doing anything to intentionally hurt you. It's taking a lot for me to do this. It's going to be hard for me to fight with you like I used to, but I'm going to try because I also want you to be happy."

"Then what's the point?" Pan grumbled. "I might as well not train at all."

"I said it's going to be difficult but I'll try regardless. I'll attempt not to hold back even when my body is screaming at me to. When we're fighting, you might feel the same way, like you don't want to harm me. I'll try not to go easy on you & you try not to go easy on me, got it?"

"That shouldn't be a problem." Pan smiled mischievously. "I've been wanting to kick your ass for a couple weeks now."

Vegeta smirked. "Good. Use that anger when we fight. It'll help override your instincts."

"And you should do the same thing. You're always angry so you should be just fine." Smiling, Pan leaned forward & kissed Vegeta on the lips. She tried to pull away, but he wrapped his arms around her waist & held her close to his body as he kissed her back fiercely. Vegeta thrust his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. His hands moved from Pan's waist to her breasts & began massaging them gently. She moaned into his mouth, but she broke away when his hands moved down to the hemline of her shirt. Breathing heavily, she managed to gasp out, "Not now."

Vegeta furrowed his brow. "Why not now? We have plenty of time & I need you, Princess."

"No, we don't have time," panted Pan. "We both have to shower before breakfast."

"I know how we can take care of that & do what I want at the same time," he said with a devilish smirk.

Pan giggled. "Yeah, I know. You're very good at multi tasking, but if we shower together again, we won't come out for awhile."

Vegeta growled. "Fine, but I will have you later."

"I look forward to it." After one last kiss, Pan opened the door & left the room, leaving behind a very frustrated Vegeta.

 **Author's Note:**

Not a lot happened in this chapter but I still hope ya'll enjoyed it. Next week, they're going to finally spar & we might see a certain purple-haired Saiyan ;) Have a great week guys!

-Chels xoxo


	10. Headstrong

**New week, new update! This chapter was a pain. I don't know what's harder to write: fight scenes or lemons. I tried my best, though, so hopefully you guys like it. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter nine's title song is by Eminem.**

 **To SLee: You'll find out who Bulla is dating this chapter & Trunks will definitely make an appearance ;)**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: This chapter has some sparring, some Trunks, & the discovery of Bulla's mystery man. Hope you like it :)**

 **To Spellweaver10: This chapter has a little more going on. Thanks for still leaving a review on the last one. I know it was uneventful so I appreciate it :)**

 **Chapter Ten: Headstrong**

Freshly showered, Pan took the stairs two at a time as she followed the smell of delicious breakfast foods down to the kitchen. She was dressed in a red sports bra & a pair of black yoga pants that she had borrowed from Bulla's closet. When she entered, she noticed that Vegeta wasn't there yet but Bulma was. The older woman was in front of the stove making breakfast.

"Morning, Bulma," Pan greeted.

Bulma turned around at the sound of the younger woman's voice. "Good morning, dear. Bulla told me you were spending the night. How'd you sleep?"

"Very well, thank you. I was exhausted."

"I'm glad you got a good night's sleep. No offense, but you did look like you needed it last night."

"None taken. I know I looked like crap. If not for Bulla's help with my make up, I might've looked like a walking corpse."

"Thank goodness for my daughter. We wouldn't want you looking like a zombie at another one of my parties now would we?" Bulma smiled at her playfully.

Laughing good-naturedly, Pan replied, "I'm never going to live that down, am I? It was your son's idea by the way."

"What was my idea?" Trunks walked into the kitchen, dressed in a brown business suit & holding a briefcase. He looked at Pan nervously. "Hey Panny."

"Hi Trunks," Pan said quietly. She hadn't seen her ex-boyfriend since Halloween when she found out he had cheated on her while they were dating. The raven-haired girl was surprised that she felt no animosity as she looked at him now. There was a twinge of sadness because she had lost one of her best friends, but there was no hatred. His betrayal just didn't matter to her anymore now that she had Vegeta. Clearing her throat, Pan spoke louder, "Your mom & I were just talking about that zombie thing a couple of years ago & how it was your fault."

Trunks visibly relaxed when he heard no anger in Pan's voice. In fact, she seemed to be joking around with him. He gave her a huge smile.

"It may have been my idea, Panny, but I didn't make you do it. Now that I think about it, I remember you being pretty excited about the whole thing."

Giggling, she said, "Yes, but who's idea was it to scare the other partygoers?"

"It was yours!"

Pan laughed harder. "Oh yeah." The way they were interacting with each other was just like old times; before they started dating & before things got complicated. She didn't realize how much she missed it & him, despite everything he had done. It gave her hope that they could be friends again. It probably wouldn't be exactly the same as before, but hopefully it would be close enough. "Off to work, Mr. President?" Pan asked after she calmed down.

"After some coffee & a quick bite, yeah. Looks like you're dressed to train."

"Yup. I'm all ready to get my ass kicked by your dad." The two hybrid Saiyans chuckled at the joke. "You know it's Saturday right? Most people take the weekend off."

"Not me. I'm pretty busy. Running an entire company isn't easy."

"Well then, sit down, eat, relax for a bit."

"I can't," Trunks said. "I'm already running late. I'm going to grab what I need & then go. Maybe we can hang out sometime, though? I have to go out out of town for a week tomorrow but do you want to do something when I get back?"

"Sure," Pan smiled. "Sounds good."

Trunks smiled back. He poured a mug of coffee & grabbed a plate of food before surprising Pan with a quick kiss on the cheek on his way out.

"It was good to see you, Panny. I'll talk to you soon."

The demi-Saiyan turned to leave the kitchen when he bumped into Vegeta who was standing in the doorway watching his son & his mate. He glared at Trunks.

"Sorry, Father," Trunks nervously apologized. He bowed his head & then left.

Vegeta moved his eyes to Pan who quickly averted her gaze. He was angry again, she could sense it.

"Getting cozy with my son again, brat?"

"Oh Vegeta, calm down," Bulma yelled from the stove. Pan jumped, having forgotten she was there. "Don't take your usual bad mood out on the poor girl. She could talk to Trunks if she wants to. It's none of your business."

Finding her voice again, Pan added, "I have no intention of 'getting cozy' with Trunks again, Vegeta, if you must know."

"So you & my brat weren't just making plans to go out when I walked in?" He asked with a accusing glare.

Pan glared back. "We were making plans to get together as friends."

"You're foolish to forgive him after he betrayed your trust the way he did."

 _Ouch. Did he really just call me a fool? What the hell is his problem?_ "I haven't forgiven him for anything. I'm trying to, though. I know that concept is hard for you to wrap your huge head around, but some people are capable of it." When she was done speaking to Vegeta, Pan turned to Bulma. "Sorry Bulma, but I think I'm going to skip breakfast  & get a head start on training." Without looking at Vegeta, she stood up & walked out the back door.

This jealousy thing was really starting to get on Pan's nerves. She didn't understand why Vegeta felt so threatened by Paul & his own son. True, her & Trunks were in a relationship that lasted four years, but he said himself that they were connected through a physical bond & it was impossible for either one of them to be with another intimately. His controlling, possessive behavior was something Pan liked about the Saiyan Prince; the bond had made it one hundred times worse, though. The young girl sighed. _This is probably how it's always going to be. I should start getting used to it I guess._

Arriving at the gravity room, Pan punched in the access code & walked in. The inside of the room looked like it had been recently remodeled, which wasn't a big surprise. This place was always being rebuilt because Vegeta kept destroying it.

The young Saiyan started off with her usual warm up stretches. When she was done, she typed in a simple training exercise into the control panel keyboard & got down to business. Vegeta hadn't shown up yet & she didn't feel like waiting.

Pan was busy blasting training robots when she heard the door to the gravity room open. Distracted by the noise, she looked down to see Vegeta enter with a platter of food. Her stomach growled loudly as the smell reached her nose; however, before she could land & turn off the simulation, Pan felt a painful, burning sensation hit her back. She cried out in pain as she tumbled to the ground.

"Pan!" Vegeta shouted from the door. He dropped the food he was carrying & rushed to shut down the robots. After he had done that, he hurried to his mate's side where she lay groaning in pain on the floor. The prince could feel Pan's injury on his own back. It was painful, but she would live. Still, he was concerned for the young girl. "Princess, are you okay?"

"Ow, that hurt," Pan commented, sitting up. "Remind me never to turn my back on those sneaky bastards again; they don't fight fair."

Vegeta's face remained serious & etched with worry. "It could have been a lot worse. I'm glad you were smart enough not to make their blasts any stronger. You could have been killed."

Pan had never seen Vegeta look so scared before. It was only a minor injury & yet he was treating the situation like she had almost died. She placed a hand on his cheek, trying to calm him.

"Vegeta, I'm fine. It was nothing. I just got a little distracted."

"It's not nothing," the spiky-haired man snapped. "I don't want you to put yourself in danger willingly ever again. That means you can't even train with me. I know I said we would, however, I have no choice now but to forbid it."

"What?!" Pan jumped to her feet. "You said we could!"

"That was before I saw what could happen if one of us gets distracted or even if one of us loses control of an attack. I'm not weak like those ridiculous robots. My attacks could seriously harm you."

"I'm not a fragile porcelain doll. I can take it. Please, Vegeta, can we at least try once?"

The Saiyan was torn. He wanted to please his mate but he also felt a deep-seated need to protect her. In the end, her large, dark eyes silently begging to him made up his mind.

"Alright, little one, as you wish. We will give it a shot. If I hurt you too badly, though, we're never going to do it again. Don't you lie to me either. Remember: I'll know if you do."

Vegeta tapped his temple to emphasize his threat.

"Okay, okay, I promise. Can we start now?"

Nodding, Vegeta moved to the control panel & changed the gravity to ten times Earth's norm. That was nothing to him, but Pan was visibly struggling.

"Ten times Earth's gravity used to be easy for you, Princess."

"I've told you: it's been awhile." Panting slightly, Pan got into a fighting stance. After a moment's hesitation, Vegeta did the same.

"Ready?" The older Saiyan asked. Pan nodded her head & before she could even blink, Vegeta was behind her, hands clasped together in a fist above her head. He brought them down like a sledgehammer, sending Pan hurtling toward the ground once again. She stopped before she hit & looked up, glaring at Vegeta. He smirked. "What? Didn't see that coming?"

The raven-haired woman growled low in her throat & then launched herself at the prince. She punched & kicked out at him & he blocked each & every one of her movements much to Pan's further annoyance.

She phased out & appeared behind him. Her elbow came down & was about to make contact with the back of his head, but he suddenly whipped around & grabbed her arm, effectively stopping her attack.

"Let me go, Vegeta," Pan said through gritted teeth.

"Your enemy won't let you go just because you asked. Free yourself."

Pan struggled to get free but Vegeta's grip was like a vice. She started to form a ball of energy in her free hand & was about to release it in her captor's direction when he started to spin her in circles. The energy ball dissipated as he swung her around & around, faster & faster. When she thought she couldn't take it anymore, he released her & she sailed through the air, still spinning.

The girl was on a collision course with the hard steel wall, but she managed to right herself midair. She used her feet to push off the wall & launched herself again at Vegeta.

He watched her coming toward him. He was expecting her to fly at him again. She was so predictable…or he thought she was at least. When she reached him, Vegeta expected another flurry of punches & kicks; what the girl did instead was phase out & appear behind him landing a kick to his lower back. Pain shot up his spine & he fell a couple of feet out of the air.

Pan felt his pain, but her concern was overridden by pride that she had finally hit him.

"That was sneaky, little one," Vegeta said while cracking his neck.

"What? You didn't see that coming?" Pan was smirking as she repeated his earlier words.

Vegeta smirked back. "You surprised me. You won't get that lucky again."

Before Pan could reply, he appeared in front of her & kneed her in the stomach. She doubled over, gasping for air.

"Not fair," she gasped out.

"There's no such thing as fair or unfair in battle. There is only victory, or in your case, defeat. It's not my fault that you aren't fast enough to block my attacks."

"Block this."

The young Saiyan started punching & kicking again. Her attacks were becoming quicker as she adapted to the intense gravity, but Vegeta was still able to block every single one.

Vegeta watched his mate attack him with everything she had, an angry & determined expression on her face. He marveled at her beauty. Pan never looked more gorgeous than she did at that moment as she tried to hit him. The girl was fierce & focused, the epitome of a strong Saiyan female. She was more Saiyan than his own children when she was fighting & even when she wasn't.

The warrior was so distracted by Pan's beauty that he failed to stop a punch & it connected with his mouth. Vegeta tasted blood in his mouth where one of his teeth had cut the inside. He spat out blood & narrowed his eyes.

"I think I've humored you long enough. No more playing around." Vegeta suddenly went on the offensive. He let himself be a punching bag, but now it was time for the real fighting to start. He was a blur as he punched her in the jaw. She flew backwards & this time she hit the wall.

Pan slid down to the floor, breathing heavily. She looked up at Vegeta as he hovered above her.

"That all you got?" She asked between breaths.

"It's over, Princess. Give up."

"Saiyans never give up."

Vegeta grinned & his heart swelled with pride. _This girl would've been a perfect warrior if our planet hadn't been destroyed_ , he thought. Pan's voice interrupted his thoughts. At first, he thought she was talking to him, but then he realized she was calling out an attack & quickly countered with his signature move.

"Ka-me-ha-me"

"Final-"

"HA!"

"FLASH!"

The two blasts met midway. Pan struggled to keep Vegeta's beam of energy at bay. _He's so much stronger than I remember. How'd I ever hold my own against him before? I must be weaker than I thought._ His blast was getting closer  & closer to Pan. She powered up completely & attempted to push his attack back with hers but it was impossible. Her energy was quickly fading & just as she was about to collapse, her kamehameha wave blasted through Vegeta's final flash, hitting him…or so she thought.

When the smoke cleared, her mate was nowhere to be seen. There was only a large, gaping whole in the wall.

Pan began to panic. Her attack wasn't strong enough to completely obliterate him, was it? "Vegeta?" She frantically called out. "Vegeta?!"

"Don't let your guard down." Vegeta's voice sounded from behind her. Before she could turn to face him, however, his arms wrapped around her body, trapping her. She struggled to get her arms free, but Vegeta tightened his own around her, ensuring that she couldn't escape.

"That was mean," Pan growled. "I thought you were dead."

"Silly girl, you would have known if I was dead."

"Well, forgive me for being worried about you."

Vegeta chuckled. "I was never in danger. I let your blast repel mine so I could do this." He squeezed her tighter. "You can't get free so just surrender."

"No," Pan grunted as she continued to squirm in his arms. It didn't go unnoticed by Vegeta that her backside was rubbing up against his crotch. He suppressed the groan trying to crawl its way out of his throat & focused on defeating his opponent.

"So headstrong. I've always liked that about you. It reminds me of myself."

The trapped girl noticed there was a husky tone to Vegeta's voice. She was confused as to why he would sound like that until she felt something growing hard behind her. It didn't take brains like Bulma's to figure out what it was. Pan smiled mischievously to herself. _I can use this to my advantage._

Pan pushed her hips back putting more pressure on Vegeta's groin. She heard his breath hitch as she began to move back & forth.

The friction was too much for the Saiyan Prince & this time he couldn't contain the moan that slipped past his lips. His arms began to loosen from around his mate, his hands moving up towards her breasts.

"Vegeta," Pan whispered. "You were right."

"Mm…," he hummed, not really paying attention to her words.

"I am headstrong." Right before Vegeta's hands reached their destination, Pan jerked her head back, hitting him hard in the face. Caught off guard, he went sailing backwards. Pan flew after him & landed a downward kick to his chest. The prince fell out of the air & came to a stop on the hard ground with Pan on top, pinning him. "And I am like you; I don't have a problem playing dirty either."

Slightly winded, it took Vegeta a moment to answer. "Nice diversion, Princess, but you haven't won yet."

"Says the one on the floor." Pan laughed. "I'm the one who came out on top."

"The only reason I haven't flipped you on your ass yet is because I like the sight of you on top of me." Vegeta's hands grabbed ahold Pan's hips & moved them against the hard bulge in his pants making her gasp.

"Vegeta."

"Do you remember that night on the balcony when I told you that dancing is like fighting?" Pan nodded her head. "Well, would you like me to tell you how mating is like fighting,too?" Without waiting for an answer, Vegeta pulled Pan's mouth down to his & captured her lips in a heated kiss. One hand stayed on her hips while the other moved to the back of her head as he deepened the kiss, their tongues tangling together. Before things could progress, however, Pan's stomach growled. Vegeta pulled away with a breathless chuckle. "It seems I have to go without you for another few hours. You need to eat."

"No, I don't," Pan shook her head quickly. "I'm okay, I promise. Let's keep going."

Her hormones were out of control. There was something about mixing fighting & sex that had her Saiyan blood boiling. She needed him desperately.

Vegeta was aware of Pan's excitement; he could feel it, not to mention smell it. He was torn once again between what they both wanted & doing what was best for his mate. She needed food more than they needed to mate. He cupped the raven-haired woman's face & gave her a quick, gentle kiss.

"Later, Princess. I swear that I'll take you later. Right now you have to eat something."

Pan groaned with frustration but got off Vegeta anyway. "Fine. Let's go inside. Maybe there's still some breakfast left since I can't eat that anymore." She pointed at the food from the platter that was now scattered across the floor.

"I'm sure that woman made plenty of extra food. She always does in case Kakarot visits."

"Then c'mon. The sooner I eat, the sooner we can get back to 'training'." She winked then grabbed him by the hand & started pulling him out of the gravity room.

When the two were outside, Pan released Vegeta's hand just in case someone saw them & the pair walked side by side back to the house. They entered the kitchen through the back entrance & saw Bulla sitting at the table with a plate of food; Bulma was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Bee," greeted Pan. "Where have you been all morning? You weren't in your room when I woke up." She knew where her friend had been all night & she definitely didn't wake up alone, but she had to make it sound like she slept in Bulla's room & not in Vegeta's.

"Panda, hey," Bulla said nervously. Her eyes darted around the room as she tried to avoid looking at the black-haired girl. "I just had a couple of things to do this morning."

"Was one of the things that you did your new boyfriend?" Pan grinned at the wide eyed look on her friend's face. She stepped closer. "Spill. Who is it?"

The bluenette jumped out of her chair & started backing away toward the doorway leading out of the kitchen. "I just realized I forgot to take a shower, so I'm going to go to do that. We'll talk later. Um, bye." She turned & hurried out of the room. Pan sighed & looked at Vegeta.

"Don't take it personally, little one. She hasn't told any of us who the man is."

"Why won't she tell me? Why's it such a big secret?"

"You'll figure it out if you just wake up & _smell_ the coffee."

"What?" Pan asked with her brow furrowed.

"You don't think it _smells_ to high heaven in here?"

That only confused Pan more. "Uh, no, it smells fine."

Vegeta let out a frustrated sigh. "Princess, I think if you opened your senses a little more, you'd find that it actually _smells_ quite fishy in here."

 _Why does he keep mentioning smell? Is he saying I stink? No, that can't be it. He told me to open my senses…_ Pan closed her eyes  & focused on each of her senses. She heard every bird singing, every car driving by. She smelled the remnants of breakfast, Vegeta, the lingering scent of Bulla- wait. Her friend's scent didn't smell like it usually did. It was tainted with…something. Pan opened her eyes & stared at the older Saiyan in front of her.

"Bulla smells weird," she noted.

"She does," Vegeta agreed. "I know what, or rather who, contaminated my daughter's scent; you figure it out now."

Closing her eyes again, Pan focused on the faint smell. After a moment she managed to separate the mystery scent from Bulla's. It was familiar, very familiar. She felt like it was a scent she had smelled a lot throughout her life, like her mother's perfume or her father's aftershave; or even the smell of rain or the intoxicating aroma of flowers in the springtime.

Her father's aftershave…the mystery scent kind of reminded Pan of her dad, just a little bit; & her grandfather when she thought it about it more. Obviously Bulla wasn't dating either one of them. _Although she did have a major crush on my dad growing up_ , Pan thought while trying to suppress a giggle. Trunks & Goten used to tease her relentlessly about it. They would-

Pan's thoughts were interrupted as realization dawned on her. Her eyes flew open. "No freaking way." She smelled the air again, this time sniffing for a specific scent. It was faint, but unmistakably… "Uncle Goten."

 **Author's Note:**

Well there's one mystery solved. I think you guys already knew who Bulla was secretly dating. Goten & Bulla aren't exactly a odd pairing in Dragon Ball fan fiction & in my story of a couple that most people don't ship, I thought I'd keep some sense of normalcy. How do ya'll think Pan will react to this shocking revelation? Leave a review if you're in a generous mood & let me know your thoughts.

P.S. One last thing: I know Pan forgave Trunks unreasonably fast, but she has Vegeta now so why dwell on all that. What's done is done you know?

-Chels xoxo #PrayforParis


	11. Dirty Little Secret

**Here's chapter eleven for you guys. I just realized that I didn't give you a layout of everyone's age. You already know Pan's & Bulla's ages, but here are the rest in case you were curious. **

**Pan- 22**

 **Vegeta- 69**

 **Trunks- 35**

 **Bulla- 21**

 **Goten- 34**

 **The age differences are pretty accurate. Vegeta is 47 years older than Pan. I didn't want to change their ages so there you go. Enjoy the chapter everyone!**

 **Last chapter's title is a song by Trapt.**

 **To SLee: Yup. Pan finally knows who the mystery man is & she's going to confront Bulla about it…uh oh ;) Don't worry hon; I knew you meant Bulla. **

**To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: Your review cracked me up, hon lol I wouldn't have done that to Videl. Could you imagine? Pan would flip out. Of course, she still might flip out on Bulla for dating Goten. Trunks, Trunks, Trunks. We'll definitely be seeing him again soon.**

 **To Spellweaver10: I know right? My cousin became an aunt when she was only 7 or 8. It's crazy :)**

 **To kiki700: Thanks for the review, doll :)**

 **Chapter Eleven: Dirty Little Secret**

"It's Goten. That's who she's been seeing." Pan says, shock lacing her words. Vegeta nods even though it wasn't a question. "How could you not tell me, Vegeta?"

He sighs. "I may not be a good man, but I do have some morals. It wasn't my secret to tell."

"But it's my uncle!"

"Don't yell at me, little one. If you have a problem with it, go talk to my daughter."

"I think I will," Pan said before rushing out of the kitchen.

She walked to Bulla's room but it was empty. Figuring her friend was still in the shower, she sat on the bed & waited for her to finish. About fifteen minutes later, the bluenette walked in with a towel wrapped around her body & another atop her head. She stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed Pan.

"Pan, you scared me."

Pan looked at the other girl with narrowed eyes. "So," she started, "how's my uncle?"

Bulla was silent for a moment. Then she asked, "You mean Goten? How would I know?"

"Cut the crap, Brief," the black-haired woman snapped. "I figured out your little secret. I know he's the guy you've been seeing. I could smell both of your scents mixed together downstairs."

"Oh." Bulla looked down, ashamed. "Don't be mad, Panda, I can explain."

"Then explain. Tell me why you kept this a secret from me."

"I was afraid you'd be upset that I was dating your uncle," Bulla muttered while still staring at her feet.

Pan's mouth fell open in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Is that all?"

Bulla's head snapped up & she locked eyes with her best friend. "Is that all?" She repeated. "You mean you're not mad?"

"Oh no, I'm pissed, but only because you didn't tell me. I don't care that you're dating Goten. In fact, I'm really happy for you two; or at least I will be once the urge to kill you passes."

"Really?" Bulla sighed in relief. "That's a weight off my shoulders."

"Bee, you can be so ridiculous sometimes. You were okay when I got together with your brother; why would I care if you're dating my uncle? The age difference isn't any bigger between you guys than it is between me & Trunks. Sure, Goten is family, but you might as well be, too, considering how long I've known you."

Tears glistened in Bulla's eyes as she ran up to Pan & hugged her tightly. "Thanks Panny. Your blessing means a lot to me. I just have to worry about Daddy now."

The raven-haired girl laughed as her blue-headed friend pulled away & sat down next to her on the bed. "He already knows, dummy. He could smell Goten on you, too. Bastard refused to tell me, though. He made me figure it out on my own."

Bulla paled. "He knows. Oh no, he must be so mad at me."

"Why would he be?" Pan asked, confused.

"Because Goten is Goku's son," she said as if the reason wa obvious. "He's not going to be happy about that. He'll probably say I'm tainting our royal bloodline or some shit like that."

 _Your dad will be a hypocrite if he says that_ , Pan thought. _I'm Goku's granddaughter & Vegeta had no problem mating with me._ Instead of saying all of that out loud, Pan chose to comfort her best friend with words that wouldn't ruin their friendship.

"I really don't think he'll stop you two from being together. I know he's not ecstatic that you're seeing Goten, but he's not angry about it either. Trust me."

"He told you all that?"

"More or less."

"Wow. I guess Daddy is really warming up to your family, huh?"

 _More than you realize._ Pan smiled to herself. "Your dad likes my grandfather more than he lets on. They're practically best friends. He just has too much pride to admit it."

"You seem to know a lot about how my dad thinks," Bulla observed. Pan's eyes widened with panic. _Oh no! Is she suspicious of us? Fuck! Why'd I have to tell her all of that?_ Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Her fears were quickly quelled, though, by Bulla's next words. "But that's no surprise. You  & him have always been close. I'm sure he thinks of you as a second daughter."

 _That would be weird if he did, but as long as Bee thinks that's how he sees me, then I don't care._ Pan's smile was mischievous as she jokingly said, "Yeah, I'm sure he wishes I were his daughter & you weren't."

"Hey!" Bulla threw a brush at Pan who caught it before it hit her & the two girls laughed. "If you keep making jokes like that, Son, I'll make sure I become your aunt."

The pair laughed harder until Pan abruptly stopped. Worry & doubt started to creep into her mind. This whole situation made her think about herself & Vegeta. She had no problem accepting the fact that her best friend was dating her uncle, but would Bulla be so open-minded about Pan & her father? She didn't think so. Bulla noticed that she had stopped laughing & was eerily quiet. "Hey, you okay, Panny?"

"What?" Pan asked, confused. She was still haunted by her thoughts & it took her a moment to realize what her friend had said. "Oh, uh, yeah, I'm good. Just hungry. I'm going to head back down to the kitchen."

"Hold on." Bulla grabbed Pan's arm as she got up from the bed effectively halting her exit. "We talked about my love life, but now it's your turn."

Pan snorted. "I don't have a love life, Bee." For the most part it was true. Sure she had Vegeta, but she didn't know if what they had was love or just physical.

The bluenette rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. Tell me what happened with Paul. Every dirty little detail."

"Nothing happened, Bee."

It was Bulla's turn to snort. "Yeah, okay. My mom saw you walk him out last night & you were dressed in nothing but a shirt & some underwear. Do you really expect me to believe that you guys didn't sleep together?"

"Yes, I expect you to believe it. If you want to know the whole story, though, here it is: I was dressed that way because Paul & I got caught in the sprinklers while we were out for a walk."

Bulla narrowed her eyes. "The sprinklers, huh?" Pan nodded. "They're not programmed to go off until early in the morning, not at night."

Pan silently cursed herself for not knowing that little tidbit of information. She'd spent the night enough times at Capsule Corp that she should've known. After a moment's hesitation, the raven-haired Saiyan decided to stick with her original story. "I don't know what to tell you, Brief. They went off, Paul & I got soaked. Ask Paul if you don't believe me."

Still staring suspiciously at her best friend, Bulla said, "Don't think I won't."

"Really, Bee, give me a little more credit than that. You know I've never made a habit out of sleeping with complete strangers."

The blue-hair woman sighed. "I know. I'm sorry." Guilt crashed down on Pan in waves at Bulla's sincere apology. She was right not to believe Pan's ridiculous story, but instead of just telling her oldest friend the truth, she'd made her feel like a terrible friend for doubting her. _I'm the bad friend here._ "But are you going to see him again?" Bulla asked.

"I don't think so. He's not my type."

"He's hot, Panda. How is he not your type?"

 _He's not Vegeta that's how._ "Yeah, he's cute, but there wasn't any chemistry. Maybe I'm just not ready to date yet."

Bulla gave her a sly smile. "Don't lie to me, Son. I know why you don't want to date him. You like someone else & I think I know who."

Pan's eyes widened in fear. _Oh, Dende, she knows. How the hell did she figure it out? We were so careful &-_ "It's my brother, isn't it?"

Pan blinked at the bluenette a couple times before she broke out in relieved & incredulous laughter. "Your brother? Trunks?" She choked out between giggles. "Are you out of your mind, Brief?"

"Not at all. According to my mom, you & him were quite friendly this morning. She even said he kissed you."

The black-haired girl wiped away the tears caused by her laughter. "You need to tell your mother to stop jumping to conclusions. Nothing happened with Paul & nothing is going on with Trunks. Yes, we talked this morning & yes, he kissed me, but it was on the cheek & there was nothing romantic about it. We're trying to be friends again & that's it."

"You're serious." Bulla said with her brow furrowed in confusion. "Huh. I'm usually not wrong about these things. I could've sworn you were seeing someone. You have a glow about you that says 'I just got laid'."

Pan blushed. "I do not. Now if you're done interrogating me, I would like to get some food."

"Yeah, go ahead," Bulla dismissed her, though she still didn't look entirely convinced.

The young Saiyan rushed down the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her. _Great, now Bulla is suspicious. She thinks I'm seeing someone & she s not exactly wrong. If she knew who it was, though, she'd kill me._ Pan was so lost in thought that she ran right into Vegeta as he was walking up the stairs. He grabbed her by the arms & steadied her before she fell on her ass. When she was no longer in danger of falling, he released her.

"Princess, are you okay? I sensed your distress & I was just heading upstairs to make sure you were alright."

Throwing her arms around him, Pan let out a deep sigh. "Bulla is getting suspicious. She knows something is up I think."

"Let's talk about this while you eat. I have some food waiting for you in the kitchen." Even though Pan was capable of walking, Vegeta lifted her & carried her bridal style to the kitchen, setting her down in a chair at the table when they got there.

"Maybe you shouldn't be doing stuff like that, Vegeta. Someone could've seen."

"Relax. It's almost impossible for anyone to sneak up on me, little one. I'll either sense them or hear them before that happens. Now, let's talk. You're worried about Bulla finding out about us?"

"Yes. She thinks I'm seeing someone. I'm pretty sure she thinks it's Trunks even though I told her it wasn't. Either way she'll figure out the truth sooner or later."

Vegeta looked thoughtful for a moment before he finally spoke. "Are you ashamed of our bond? Of me?"

Pan's heart broke at the slight hint of pain in the older Saiyan's voice. "No, of course not," she replied. She got up & wrapped her arms around her mate's neck. "It's just our families; I don't know how they'll handle finding out about us & that scares me."

"Bulma & I decided to tell everyone about our separation," Vegeta blurted out.

Pan's mouth fell open in shock at the sudden information. It took her a few seconds to compose herself. "Seriously? When?"

"In about a month at the annual Christmas Eve party," Vegeta revealed. "It's not the most appropriate time, I know, but that's when everyone is going to be together again."

She knew the news of their parents divorce would destroy Bulla & maybe Trunks, but Pan still couldn't stop a smile from forming on her face.

"We won't have to keep this a secret anymore."

"We'll finally be able to start our lives together. I hope you know that I expect you to come live with me as soon as everyone knows about us."

The smile slipped from Pan's face as quickly as it had appeared. She suddenly remembered that going public meant facing judgement & criticism from her family & friends. She was so excited about not hiding from anyone anymore that she completely forgot about the possible ramifications. _I'll worry about that when I have to. There's plenty of time for me to prepare for all of that backlash._

Pan plastered another smile on her face & looked at Vegeta. "I can't wait," she said.

Vegeta leaned down & kissed her softly. Pan kissed him back eagerly but then pouted when he pulled away after only a few seconds.

"Eat. I won't tell you again, Princess."

"Fine," she grumbled. She sat down again & started eating. Despite her previous reluctance to eat, Pan was actually quite hungry. Between training & the fear of being discovered by Bulla, she was famished. She was almost done when her phone buzzed notifying her that she had a new message. It was from her dad.

Gohan: Hey sweetie. I need you to come back home asap. Your grandparents are coming over for lunch & I know they'll want to see you.

Pan groaned, prompting Vegeta to walk over & read the text over her shoulder. He growled in the back of his throat.

"Damn brat. You & I weren't finished with today's practice."

"I know," Pan sighed, getting to her feet & walking to the counter where she had left her bag. "We'll just have to continue where we left off tomorrow."

"I can't wait until then." Vegeta was suddenly behind her. He twirled her around to face him & covered her mouth with his own.

Surprised, Pan froze for a moment while he attacked her lips. Soon, though, she began to return the kiss. Her arms wound around his neck again as he pushed her against the counter. Vegeta lifted her up & placed Pan on top of it. Her legs wrapped around his waist pulling him closer to her.

Pan could feel his hardness rubbing against her sex & she moaned into his mouth. When she did, Vegeta took the opportunity to slip his tongue past her lips. They kissed with wild desperation & passion until the vibrating of Pan's phone forced them to break apart.

"That's probably my dad again," Pan breathed out.

"Ignore it." Vegeta began kissing & nibbling the mark on Pan's neck making her tremble with need.

"I-I can't." She managed to gasp out. Pushing him away from her, Pan hopped down off the counter & went to retrieve her phone. Vegeta cursed quietly to himself as his mate walked away, leaving him frustrated for the second time that day.

Picking up her phone, Pan saw that there were two more messages from her father.

Text 1: Pan? Did you get my message?

Text 2: I'm worried Pan. I'm sending your grandpa over to make sure you're okay.

"Kakarot's on his way?" Vegeta asked. He was once again reading her texts over her shoulder.

"Yes. Damn. I need to spray some perfume or something."

"You better hurry, little one. He could be here any moment."

She had just finished spraying on some perfume when Goku suddenly appeared in the kitchen, his usual goofy grin on his face.

"Hi!" He greeted.

"Grandpa!" She ran up to him & hugged him around the waist. Even though she had seen him just last night & he had interrupted her & Vegeta, Pan was happy to see her grandfather; she always was.

"Hey kiddo. Been training with Vegeta?"

"Yup & I totally won this time, Grandpa."

Goku's eyes went wide at that & he glanced at the other full-blooded Saiyan. "Is that true, Vegeta?"

"It was a pity win. I showed her mercy & let her defeat me."

"Mercy?" Goku laughed. "I've never known you to show mercy, Vegeta. Not getting soft are you?"

"Watch it, clown," the Saiyan Prince growled. "I'm not getting soft. Don't make me prove it to you."

Goku laughed again & scratched the back of his head. "That's the Vegeta I know. Well, thanks for helping Pan out with her training, but we gotta get going. Chi Chi wants to see her & you know how impatient she is; I'd rather not make her wait."

"Whatever." Goku hesitated, eyeing the leftover breakfast on the counter. Vegeta sighed & rolled his eyes. "Just take it, Kakarot."

"Gee, thanks Vegeta!" Goku exclaimed with a huge smile. He picked up the platter with one hand & placed the other on Pan's shoulder. "Ready?" He asked her. She nodded.

"Sure. Let's go." Pan gave the spiky-haired man a half wave & a small smile. "See you tomorrow, Vegeta."

His eyes smoldered as their gazes locked making Pan weak in the knees. The black orbs were full of promise of pleasure. He didn't say a word, but he didn't have to; the heat in his eyes spoke volumes.

As soon as his mate disappeared, Vegeta left the kitchen & made his way back to the gravity room to continue his training. It took every last bit of control he had to keep himself from flying to Pan's house & taking back what was his. When Vegeta arrived at his destination, he immediately started taking his frustrations out on the training bots. _Soon she'll be living with me_ , he thought, _& then I'll never be without her again_.

 **Author's Note:**

Vegeta just can't catch a break, can he? Pan handled Bulla's secret pretty well, but how will Bulla handle hers? Next chapter will be up Monday as usual. At least I'm hoping it will be. I was in the hospital over the weekend because my dumb ass drank too much at a party on an empty stomach, so I'm still recovering from that. Also, Thanksgiving is coming up & that's a busy day for me. By the way, I hope all of my American readers have a happy Thanksgiving & to those who don't celebrate, I still hope you all have a great week. See you soon!

-Chels xoxo #PrayforParis


	12. Hello, I Love You

**Hey guys, here's a new chapter for you. I tried to make it longer than the last one. Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving/week. Mine was the best one yet. I was in charge of the turkey for the first time ever, but everything turned out great. Speaking of thanks, thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed, & favorited my little story :) There's a lemon coming up, so as usual if you don't like that sort of thing, skip it. For the rest of you, enjoy!**

 **Chapter ten title is a song by The All-American Rejects.**

 **To SLee: You'll find out how everyone reacts really, really soon ;)**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: I can't tell you if you're right or wrong about how everyone is going to react, but you will find out soon. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving :)**

 **To kiki700: Haha. I totally thought about doing that, but I didn't want them found out…yet ;)**

 **To Majin Hezaa: Thank you so, so much for your review. I read it on Thanksgiving & it made my day. You're so sweet & I'm glad you like my story. I'll try not to disappoint. Thanks again :)**

 **Chapter Twelve: Hello, I Love You**

" _I can't believe my own daughter would do such a thing," Videl cried. "My own daughter is a tramp."_

 _Pan was also sobbing. "Mama, I'm not! I love him!"_

" _He's too old for you, Pan, & married!" Videl said. "You've brought shame & embarrassment upon our family. How could you?"_

" _I didn't mean to! I couldn't help it." Pan turned to her father who was sitting beside his wife on the living room couch, eyes fixed on the floor & eerily quiet. He hadn't said anything since she told him she was in love with Vegeta. "You believe me don't you, Papa?"_

 _Gohan raised his head & Pan gasped loudly at the hatred she saw in his eyes. "I believe that you destroyed our family & Bulma's. You're a home wrecker, Pan, a slut. I can barely stand to look at you."_

 _Suddenly, her family & friends all appeared around her: her grandparents, her uncle, the Z fighters, the Briefs. They all repeated the same words as her parents. _

" _Whore."_

" _Slut."_

" _Home wrecker."_

" _I'm not," Pan cried as she fell to her knees, hands over her ears. "I'm not!"_

" _You are," a familiar voice said._

 _The distraught young woman looked up & met the cold, black eyes of her mate._

" _Vegeta!" Standing, Pan ran to him & threw her arms around his waist, however, he didn't return the embrace. "I'm so glad you're here. Tell them, Vegeta. Tell them you & Bulma aren't together anymore, tell everyone we're bonded & that we're in love."_

" _Why would I tell them that?" The Saiyan Prince said coolly. "I'd hate to lie to everyone."_

 _Pan tilted her head back & stared at the man she was holding. She saw the same anger & loathing in his eyes that she had seen in her father's. "W-What are y-you talking about? V-Vegeta?" She stuttered as more tears began to pool in her eyes. _

_Vegeta laughed. It was dark & menacing & it sent a chill down Pan's spine. "Stupid, stupid girl. You were nothing to me but an easy lay. We were never bonded & Bulma & I were never separated. I lied to you, used you. It was so easy. You're so weak & easily manipulated; It barely took any effort to coax you into my bed. What they say is true: you are a whore."_

 _Shaking her head, Pan began to step away from the man she thought cared about her. "I thought you loved me," she sobbed._

" _Why would you think that?" Vegeta asked. "I never said I did. I merely tolerated you; but not anymore. I'm beginning to understand why my son cheated on you. No one could love a pathetic creature like you."_

 _The crowd in the middle of her living room began to close in around her again, chanting their hateful words once more. Pan couldn't escape. She was forced to listen as the people closest to her proved her worst fear: that her feelings for Vegeta were wrong & would never be accepted. _

_Amongst all their voices, Pan could hear Vegeta laughing evilly. She thought she heard him calling her name, too, but she ignored it. He had betrayed her & probably only intended to hurt her more. _

_The young Saiyan sank to the ground as the disapproving faces of her loved ones loomed over her. She was surprised, though, to see Vegeta's contorted with worry as he continued to say her name._

" _Pan, Pan, Pan…"_

"Pan, wake up. Please, wake up." Pan slowly opened her eyes. Someone was shaking her shoulders roughly. Her body, she noticed, was covered in a cold sweat & tears ran in rivulets down her cheeks. The raven-haired girl had only a moment of ignorant peace before the memory of her nightmare came rushing back & sobs began to wrack her body. The arms that had been shaking her quickly wrapped around her body & rocked her back & forth. "Shh, you're okay. It was only a bad dream."

That voice made Pan freeze. It had been in her nightmare. It had said awful, hurtful things to her…it had torn her to pieces. "Vegeta?" She whispered.

"Yes, it's me, Princess. Don't worry, I have you; you're safe."

Pan suddenly jerked away from the warmth of the older Saiyan's body causing him to frown. She crawled away backwards until her back hit the headboard of her bed & she could go no further.

"Don't touch me," she spat angrily. Her breathing was fast & shallow, her mind still a little dazed. She didn't even remember falling asleep. The last thing she remembered was coming up to her room after her grandparents had left to grab a change of clothes before she went to take a shower. She obviously never made it to the bathroom.

"Princess, I know what you dreamt, but please don't let it fill your heart & head with doubt."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "How could you possibly know that?"

Vegeta tapped his temple as way of explanation. "I saw everything as if I dreamed it myself."

Slowly, Pan's head began to clear completely & she stared at Vegeta as if just now noticing he was there. He was sitting on the edge of her bed wearing his usual attire: a dark blue sleeveless jumpsuit with white gloves & boots. Like towards the end of her nightmare, he was looking at her with concern. She instantly felt guilty & cried harder.

"Oh, Vegeta, I'm so sorry." She crawled into her mate's lap & wept into his chest. "It was that stupid dream I had. For a moment, I thought you really were like that man in my nightmare."

"I know, little one," Vegeta said as he smoothed down her mussed hair. "You don't need to explain anything; I understand."

"What are you doing here anyway?" She asked.

"I was training in the gravity room when I felt an intense sadness & heartache. It didn't take long for me to figure out that I was experiencing what you were experiencing. I flew here as fast as I could & snuck in through your window. When I entered your room, I saw you tossing & turning & you were crying & mumbling in your sleep. I tried to wake you several times from your nightmare, but it was difficult. I finally managed to, though."

"Oh." Pan was quiet for a few seconds before she asked, "So you really saw everything?"

"Yes."

"What if that really happens when everyone finds out about us?"

"It won't," Vegeta reassured her.

Pan pulled back to look into his eyes. "How do you know?"

The Saiyan Prince was quiet while he reached out to wipe away her tears with his thumb. Finally, he said, "Because I won't let it."

Affection for the man comforting her washed over Pan & she grabbed Vegeta's face & pulled it down to hers, kissing him deeply.

The prince immediately returned the kiss with fervor. He had been denied his princess too many times that day, but now he would finally have her under him again where she belonged.

Pan repositioned herself so that she was now straddling Vegeta with her hands on his shoulders. She felt the hard bulge under his clothes as she sat her full weight atop him. He groaned as she moved her hips, grinding against him.

He bit her bottom lip, making her shiver. His tongue flicked out & licked where he had bitten, demanding entrance. Pan opened for him & he wasted no time thrusting his tongue inside.

Vegeta tilted his head to the side as he deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing hers. His hands moved to her hips & he helped her move harder & faster against his hardness. The moan that escaped her mouth was swallowed by Vegeta as his kisses grew faster & more hungry.

The young Saiyan always marveled at the softness of his lips & his taste. He always tasted so sweet, something she never expected from the usually grumpy man.

His insistent lips left Pan's mouth & he started kissing down her jaw & neck. Her head fell back as he bit & sucked the entire expanse of her neck, saving her mark for last.

When he was done exploring her neck, he pulled back & quickly rid Pan of her night shirt. Her bare chest was fully exposed to him & he stared in admiration.

Without warning, Vegeta latched onto her right nipple & sucked hard. Pan felt wetness pooling in her core as he licked, bit, & sucked her pert nipple. Her hands moved to her mate's hair holding him close to her chest. He paid equal attention to both her breasts before pulling away & bringing his mouth to hers again & kissing her with such intensity that it sent tremors throughout her entire body.

While they continued to kiss passionately, Vegeta flipped them over so that he was now on top. He left her lips & started kissing down her torso. Pan sucked in a sharp breath as Vegeta coaxed her legs apart & lowered his head down between her quivering thighs.

She gasped when she felt his lips kissing up her inner thigh, making a slow trail toward her core. When he finally placed his mouth on her wet, aching sex, Pan had to bury her face in a pillow to muffle her scream. His tongue licked her from bottom to top, stopping at her clit where he sucked & lapped at the little bundle of nerves.

He moaned, sending vibrations through her center. The sensations of his determined tongue were too much for Pan. She gripped the bed sheets as she fell over the edge into orgasmic bliss.

Her breathing ragged, Pan watched with heavy eyelids as Vegeta undressed before crawling back onto the bed & settling himself between her legs.

Desire for the full-blooded Saiyan still coursed through her despite her recent release. Before they went any further, however, Pan had to ask him a question that had been on her mind since her dream, maybe longer.

"Vegeta?" Pan asked, breathless.

"Hmm," he hummed in response while kissing the tender flesh of her neck.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes," he whispered against her skin before simultaneously entering her & sinking his teeth into her neck, reopening her mark.

The combination of the sudden intrusion & the pleasure-pain of Vegeta's bite left Pan's mouth agape in a silent scream & made her back arch up off the bed. His mouth came down on hers once more & Pan could taste the coppery tang of her blood on his lips. She could also taste the sweetness of her juices on his tongue & her cheeks heated slightly at the memory of what he had done.

A small cry escaped Pan's lips & was swallowed by Vegeta as he began to move slowly inside her. One of his hands gripped her hip while the other massage her breast, pinching & pulling at the nipple.

Breaking their kiss, the Saiyan Prince looked down at his mate. Her beauty always made his heart ache. He used to think she was most attractive when she was fighting, with her hair flying wildly around her & a fierce determination in her eyes; but that was before he mated with her. Now she was most beautiful when she was beneath him, hair a mess & panting; she was most beautiful when he was claiming what was his.

Vegeta stared deeply into her eyes as he thrust into her with long, deep strokes & Pan stared back, not daring to break eye contact. This was unlike anything she had experienced with Vegeta before. When they usually had sex, it was quick & hurried, but now he was taking his time with his thrusts, with his hands. Pan loved the intimacy of it, but she wanted more friction, needed it.

"You're so perfect," Vegeta grunted. "So beautiful."

"Vegeta, please," Pan begged.

"Please what?" He asked.

"Go faster. I need you to move faster."

"Not until you say it back."

"Say what back?"

"You know what."

Pan closed her eyes & shook her head back & forth. "But I don't. Please, Vegeta…I'm so close. I need more."

"I'll give you whatever you want when you say what I want to hear." To prove it, he thrust in once, hard & fast, before stopping completely.

The raven-haired woman whimpered at the overwhelming pleasure of that one movement, but then she almost burst into tears when she didn't feel it again. She searched her fuzzy mind trying to figure out what he wanted to hear. _For someone who claims to love me, he sure does like to torture me. Wait! That's it!_ Like a lightbulb flickering on, she suddenly knew what he wanted.

"I love you, too," Pan gasped out.

Vegeta cocked his head to the side. "What was that?"

"I love you, Vegeta," she said a little louder. "I love you so much."

The prince growled deep in his throat at her words & without warning, he grabbed her hips with both of his hands & drove his hard shaft into her repeatedly. The brutal thrusts made it hard for Pan to contain her screams, but Vegeta saved them from her parents overhearing by smothering the cries with his hot, desperate mouth again.

Pan gripped his hair & clung to Vegeta as her climax pulsed through her. She clenched around his hardness & her whole body shuddered as he became impossibly bigger, pounding out his own release in time with hers.

He groaned & stilled, spilling himself deep inside of her. When he had nothing left to give, he pulled out of Pan & rolled to the side where he rested on his back.

Both Saiyans stared up at the ceiling as they tried to catch their breath. Pan's body still shook from the aftershocks of her powerful orgasm. Never before had she felt something so intense.

Expressing their love for one another seemed to amplify the experience. Knowing Vegeta loved her changed how she responded to his touches, his kisses, the movement of his hips. Before that night, sex between them was just that: sex. It was only a physical act performed by a mated pair. Now, it was more than that; it truly was making love .

When Pan's breathing had returned to normal, she turned over onto her side & stared at her mate. Moonlight shone in through her window, illuminating Vegeta & bathing his body in an almost otherworldly glow. The moonlight played across his chiseled features, forming shadows on his face & muscular chest. His eyes were closed & he looked completely at peace…except for a small crease in his brow. When Pan thought back to all of her memories of the man, she realized that he always had that troubled look on his face.

 _He's so beautiful_ , Pan thought with a small smile, _but even now, when he's resting seemingly peacefully, he looks haunted by something_.

"My past."

Pan jumped slightly at the sudden sound of Vegeta's voice. His eyes were still closed & for a moment she thought she might've imagined him speaking.

"What did you say?" She asked uncertainly.

Vegeta opened his eyes & turned his head to look at her. "I heard your thoughts, little one, & it's my past that haunts me. It's never far from my mind."

Pan's eyes widened. "You heard what I was thinking?"

"Yes. Our bond is growing stronger. It's happening at a rapid pace, much faster than I thought it would."

"I see." The younger Saiyan was quiet for a few seconds before she spoke again, hesitantly, "So what exactly from your past bothers you? Is it the people you've killed?"

"Yes...& the loss of my planet & my people."

"Oh." Of course. How could she have forgotten? "It must have been hard losing your home & your family."

Vegeta shrugged. "It was & it wasn't. I learned to adapt, to survive."

"Don't act like you're not hurting, Vegeta. I don't have to be connected to you to see that it still causes you pain to think about it."

Reaching out, the Saiyan Prince grabbed Pan & pulled her toward him. She laid her head on his chest & rested her arm across his waist while his arms wrapped tightly around her torso.

"What's done is done. For a long time I was bitter & angry about it all & the forced servitude didn't help matters because that meant I had truly lost everything. I'm starting to realize, though, that it was fate because it brought me to you. We were destined to be mated & fate had to do what it did to make it happen."

Tears glistened in Pan's eyes as she raised her head & rested her chin on Vegeta's chest. She smiled sadly at him. "I can't say I'm happy about how you ended up on Earth, but I'm glad that you did."

The Saiyan warrior smiled at her. It was a real smile that took her breath away. His face rarely portrayed anything besides a smirk or a scowl. He reserved this facial expression mostly for his children…& now her.

"Me too." Vegeta leaned forward & kissed her on the forehead. Pan once again rested her head on his chest & listened to his heartbeat slow as he fell asleep. Consciousness soon left her, too, & she fell asleep knowing that her strong Saiyan Prince was by her side to protect her from any more nightmares.

 **One Week Later**

It had been a week since the Saiyan couple professed their feelings for each other & the pair were closer than ever. When Pan wasn't working, she was at Capsule Corp with Vegeta. Her parents assumed she was hanging out with Bulla & while she did visit with her best friend occasionally, most of her time was spent in the gravity room with the older man.

That Saturday afternoon was no different. Pan didn't have to work so she was at Capsule Corp bright & early that day. Vegeta had found her in the GR shortly after breakfast & they had been sparring ever since. They only stopped when Bulma announced that it was lunch time.

The ravenous Saiyans quickly stopped what they were doing & hurried toward the house.

"You did very well today, Princess," Vegeta commented as they walked side by side.

"Thanks. I learned from the best," Pan smiled at the Saiyan Prince.

He smirked cockily. "There's no better teacher than the prince of Saiyans."

Pan rolled her eyes. "I should've known better than to compliment you. It just adds to your already giant ego."

"I think I've earned the right to be a little arrogant. I am one of the strongest beings in the universe."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, you're awesome. A "little"arrogant is putting it mildly, though, don't you think?" Pan giggled at the scowl on his face. "You know it's true, Vegeta. Now hurry up; I'm starving."

They entered the house to find Bulma placing platters of sandwiches on the kitchen table. There were several different kinds: ham, tuna, bologna, turkey, roast beef, etc. The blue-haired woman had also made a large bowl of potato salad.

Bulma's cooking wasn't as good as her grandmother's, but Pan still loved it, especially after a hard workout. She eagerly reached for a roast beef sandwich & Vegeta grabbed a pastrami one. The two wolfed down the plates of sandwiches & half the potato salad in a matter of minutes while Bulma watched in amazement with her own solitary sandwich half raised to her mouth.

"You'd think that after all these years I'd be used to this," Bulma mumbled shaking her head.

It didn't take long for the majority of the food to disappear from the table & into the Saiyans stomachs. When Vegeta was done, he went straight back to the gravity room; Pan, however, stayed behind to get a few more minutes of rest before she continued her training.

She was about to stand up from the kitchen table & join Vegeta in the GR when her phone buzzed with a text. Pan pulled it out from her pocket where she had put it before lunch & saw that it was from…Trunks.

Trunks: Hey, Panny :)

Pan thought it was odd that he would text her out of the blue like that until she remembered that they were supposed to make plans to hang out soon. Without any further hesitation, she text him back.

Pan: Hey, Trunks. What's up?

Trunks: Well, I just got back into town & I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch tomorrow. Can you make it?

Pan: Yeah, I should be able to. Where at?

Trunks: Do you remember that little café where we had our first date? I was thinking we could go there. I know how much you like their food.

 _The restaurant where we had our first date? That's a weird place for two exes who are trying to be friends again to go. He's right, though: they have an amazing menu._ Pan chewed on her bottom lip while she thought about Trunks' choice. She finally decided that she wouldn't let such a trivial thing keep her from good food.

Pan: That sounds great. I haven't been there in ages.

Trunks: Awesome :) I'll meet you there at 1pm. That okay?

Pan: Perfect. See you tomorrow.

Trunks: I look forward to it ;)

 _He's looking forward to it? Guess I can't blame him; I'm pretty excited to eat there myself_. The raven-haired girl shrugged  & stood up from the table. She waved goodbye to Bulma who was clearing away the dirty dishes & then walked outside & toward her waiting mate.

 **Author's Note** :

Lunch date with Trunks next chapter. Who's excited for that? I really like this chapter; I don't know why, but I do. I hope you all liked it, too. See you again on Monday!

-Chels xoxo


	13. I Don't Love You

**Hey everyone! It's been a stressful week, but I made sure to get this up for you guys. It's short, but once you read the A/N at the bottom, you'll understand why. I don't know how I feel about this chapter. I like it but I don't, if that makes any sense. Let me know what ya'll think :)**

 **The Doors are the wonderful people behind last chapter's title. Fun fact: when my boyfriend's hair gets long enough, he looks like Jim Morrison, the lead singer :)**

 **To SLee: The answer to your question is coming up ;)**

 **To kiki700: Thanks for your review, doll. Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint :)**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: I can't help with all your curiosities, but I will tell you that Pan will most likely not get pregnant in my story. She's a young woman who was in a four year relationship, so she's taking the proper precautions to prevent pregnancy. Also, I've never been pregnant, so I wouldn't know what to write. Haha :)**

 **To Spellweaver10: I won't keep you in suspense anymore. Hope you like it :)**

 **To Majin Hezaa: Super Buu is definitely one of my favorite villains, but Vegeta will always be number 1 in my heart. Haha. Thanks for the review hon :)**

 **Chapter Thirteen: I Don't Love You**

Pan was worried as she flew to the restaurant to meet Trunks. It wasn't the fact that she was having lunch with an ex that bothered her, rather it was the fact she hadn't told Vegeta about it. She knew he'd overreact about the simple get together & she didn't want to deal with it; so when he asked her why she wasn't going to be training with him that day, she vaguely told him she "had plans" & left it at that.

Of course she knew that he was suspicious, but she couldn't tell him what she was doing until after it was done. She had to make sure she kept him out of her mind until lunch was over & then she would go to Capsule Corp, explain where she had been, & face his wrath.

The raven-haired woman landed in front of the Little Corner Café & entered through the double doors. Delicious smells wafted all around her as she looked around the crowded restaurant trying to spot a familiar head of purple hair.

She didn't have to search long before she saw him sitting by himself in the back at a secluded corner table. It looked like he was deep in thought. He didn't even notice her walking his way until she was standing right beside him.

"It's a good thing I'm not a bad guy," Pan said making him jump. "You'd be dead already." She smiled at him as he hurriedly stood up & gave her a small hug.

"Panny, hey, I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Work stuff?" She asked.

"Not exactly," Trunks mumbled. He said it so quietly that Pan wasn't sure if she was meant to hear it. The half-Saiyan shook his head as if to clear it & then pulled out a chair, motioning for Pan to sit. "I ordered your favorites, hope you don't mind."

"Can't go wrong with my favorites," she said with a wink.

A moment later, a brunette waitress walked out with two large trays of food. Pan was amazed that the small girl's skinny arms didn't snap under the weight of all the food. _Kudos to her. She has a large tip coming. It isn't easy serving two Saiyans after all._

The brown-haired woman set the food down on the table, covering every inch of surface space. When she was positive that they didn't need anything else, she gave us a kind smile & then left.

"You still like crepes right?" Trunks nodded his head at a plate of food in front of Pan.

"Are you kidding?" She asked with incredulity. "They are the greatest invention ever. You can put anything in them. I'll never stop loving them." Pan took her fork & knife & cut a large piece off her steak & cheese crepe before stuffing it into her mouth to prove her statement.

Trunks laughed at her as she continued to demolish the dish. "I'm glad to hear that you haven't changed one bit."

"It's only been seven months," Pan stated as she took a sip of her peach iced tea. "I assure you my eating habits are still the same."

"I figured they would be. That's why I made sure to get you a peanut butter chocolate crepe for dessert."

Pan's eyes went wide & her mouth salivated as Trunks pushed a folded chocolate pancake like thing toward her. She quickly cut a piece off & ate it. Peanut butter exploded into her mouth as she chewed & she almost moaned at the delicious taste.

"I haven't had one of these in years." She took another bite while Trunks chuckled & ate his own food.

"I know. Not since…" The smile fell from his face & he lowered his eyes & focused intently on his plate.

"Not since you started cheating on me," Pan finished for him. She put her silverware down & stared out the window they were seated near. She hadn't realized it until then, but it was true. The last time they had eaten there as a couple was before Trunks went to Parsley City & began cheating on her with Cecilia.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to remind you of that."

Turning her attention back to the lavender-haired man in front of her, Pan smiled. "It's in the past, Trunks. Actually, I've been meaning to ask how you & Cecilia have been doing?"

"Oh, I thought you would've heard by now." Trunks looked up from his plate & met Pan's gaze.

"Heard what?"

Trunks cleared his throat before he answered her. "Cecilia broke up with me on Halloween after she found out about..well, you know."

Pan nodded her head slowly. "I see. Well, I'm sorry, Trunks, but I can't say you didn't deserve it."

"I know. In fact, I deserve much worse than that. I'm really sorry for what I did to you, Panny, honestly. I wish I could take it all back."

"Are you sure you're sorry for what you did or are you just sorry that you got caught?" Pan asked the question, not with anger, but with genuine curiosity.

Trunks didn't answer her question right away, choosing instead to chew his food thoughtfully as be messed with something in his pants pocket, while Pan once again started eating hers. Their meal was almost finished when he finally said, "Both I think. I never wanted to hurt you, Pan, & I don't know why I cheated on you in the first place. I was happy the entire time we were together. Everything with Cecilia just happened so fast & then I couldn't stop."

"Thank you for being honest with me. It hurts, though, that you said that. I obviously wasn't enough for you." A single tear fell down Pan's cheek. Despite the peace she made with Trunks & their breakup, it still made her heart ache to know she wasn't good enough.

"It had nothing to do with you, Panny. I was being selfish. You know, I wasn't cheating on you that whole year & a half. Most of the time I was actually working; but when the stress got to be too much, Cecilia was right there. She was an easy way to relieve it. I should've gone to you & I regret not doing that. It tore me apart when you left me & I'm so sorry for ruining what we had."

Pan wiped away the few tears that fell from her eyes. She cried because she felt like she wasn't worth staying faithful for; that Trunks couldn't keep it in his pants & could so easily replace her. Overall, though, she was happy with the outcome & she couldn't complain. Vegeta & her were meant to be. It was like he said: they were destined to be mated & fate had to do what it did to make it happen.

The Saiyan woman smiled at the man across from her. "It's okay, Trunks. I'm not angry or sad anymore. Quite the opposite really. Now that I don't have to worry about things like whether or not you're going to be home at night or beside me when I wake up, I'm happy."

Hurt flashed across Trunks' face making Pan frown. "You're happier without me?"

"As a boyfriend, yes, but I still want you in my life as my friend. I wish we were never boyfriend & girlfriend in the first place, so that things would still be the same between us."

"What if I changed?" He asked urgently.

"What?" Pan's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"If I stopped working so much, spent more time with you, would you be happy with me as a boyfriend then?"

It took a moment for Pan to answer as she thought about his question. It didn't sound like a hypothetical question at all, but rather like a real, serious inquiry. Hypothetical or not, though, she answered honestly.

"I suppose if I didn't feel so alone then yes, I would be-"

"Marry me, Pan."

Pan's eyes widened & her mouth fell open in shock at his interruption. At first she thought she heard him wrong…but that was until she glanced down & saw the diamond ring in his hand. _That was what he was fiddling with in his pocket_ , Pan realized too late. The beautiful princess cut diamond ring sat in a black velvet jewelry box & looked like it cost a fortune. Knowing the kind of money the young Capsule Corp president had, it probably cost more than her entire college education.

Trunks waited with bated breath as Pan's shock slowly faded & she was able to speak again. Shaking her head, she said, "Trunks, you can't be serious. We're broken up."

"I know, but I want to be with you, Panny. I've had this ring for months. Before you left me, I planned on ending things with Cecilia & proposing to you. I still love you & I want to marry you."

 _He planned on proposing to me months ago? That can't be true…can it?_ Pan's mind was so overwhelmed by this new information, by everything, that she almost lost control over the block between her & Vegeta's minds. The last thing she wanted or needed was him showing up & causing a scene, so she quickly got control over her thoughts & emotions as best she could.

This was supposed to be a normal lunch between friends; how did it turn into a marriage proposal? She knew she had to tell him no, but she also knew her rejection could destroy their fragile friendship & it broke her heart to know she could lose one of her oldest friends forever. It had to be done, though. She had to tell him she didn't love him that way anymore & that she wouldn't, couldn't, marry him.

Pan took a deep breath as she prepared to hit him hard with the truth. "Trunks, I don't l-" she started, but the sound of a dozen police cars driving by rapidly with their sirens blaring interrupted her & drew her attention to the window.

Trunks reluctantly tore his eyes away from Pan & also watched the cops speed down the road. "I'm sure everything is fine." He refocused his gaze on her. "You were in the middle of saying something, remember?

She watched as the vehicles passed in a black & white blur. In the distance she heard loud gunshots & screams. She turned her gaze back to Trunks. "That doesn't sound 'fine' to me. People are in trouble, Trunks. We have to help."

"But Pan-"

The younger Saiyan got up so fast her chair fell backwards & then she ran toward the exit, not bothering to wait for her companion. She took to the sky once she was outside.

It didn't take long for Pan to reach the scene of the crime. Once on her feet, she joined a crowd of onlookers behind a police blockade in front of West City National Bank & Trust. From there, she surveyed the situation.

It appeared to be a robbery. Four men were involved & they were all heavily clad in tactical gear & were carrying assault rifles & handguns. _These guys came prepared_ , Pan thought.

From what she could tell, the robbers were on their way out of the bank when the cops showed up. As a result, they didn't have the safety of the building to take cover in & whoever was left in the bank had locked the doors so they couldn't re-enter it. What the men did have, though, were hostages to use as human shields.

The police were at a safe distance discussing how to resolve the situation, but Pan could tell the perpetrators were starting to get restless. They wanted to get out of there by any means necessary. Pan had to act before they started shooting.

She looked around for Trunks, but didn't see him anywhere. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Pan jumped into action. She left the crowd & slowly crept around the blockade & toward the robbers, staying in the shadows of the trees lining the bank. Her Saiyan hearing easily picked up what they were saying before she reached them.

"S'what's the plan?" One of the men asked.

"Don't 'cha know, idiot? We make demands an' if they refuse, we start killin'," said another.

"I might just kill 'em anyway," a third robber commented. "These pigs ruined our quick getaway. I want to teach 'em a lesson."

"Y'sure, boss?" Asked the first. "Won't it complicate things?"

"Yeah, seems unnecessary, man," robber number two added.

"Unless you want to die, too," growled the leader, "I suggest you be quiet like ol' Frank here." He nodded his head in the direction of the fourth man, who had yet to say a word.

 _The man closest to me is the one in charge, huh? Good. I'll take him out first & then the rest should be easy._ Pan slunk to the very edge of the shadows & then struck, hard & fast. She ran forward at lightning speed & punched "boss" in the side, causing one of his ribs to break with a loud snap. He yelled out in pain & his grip loosened on the young woman he was holding in front of him.

"Get out of here!" Pan yelled. The woman didn't hesitate for a second before she took off toward the police cars.

"You fuckin' bitch," the injured man managed to gasp out before Pan gave him a swift kick to the side of the head, effectively knocking him unconscious.

The three other robbers stared, stunned, as the small girl took out their leader with just two hits. Pan didn't wait for them to recover. She rushed the second one's side like she had the first, but unlike the first, she quickly moved behind him & sliced down with her hand, hitting him on the back of the neck.

He fell to the ground with a thud, taking the hostage he had with him. The elderly man quickly got to his feet, though, & hurried in the same direction as the young woman.

After the fall of their second comrade, the remaining criminals seemed to snap out of their shock & turned their guns on Pan. They opened fire & the young Saiyan dodged all the bullets…except for one.

A piece of hot lead pierced her shoulder & she screamed out in pain. The burning in her arm only deterred her for a moment, however; she kicked the guns out of their hands before they could even blink.

"What the-"

"Give up," Pan breathed out, pain coursing through her injured arm, "& I won't do to you what I did to your buddies."

The two men glanced at each other & then the quiet one, Frank, finally spoke. "Let's get the fuck outta here," he exclaimed before running off. The other robber, however didn't follow him. Instead, he put his fists up, readying himself for a fight.

"I don't take no orders from lil' girls."

"Suit it yourself," Pan said before dropping down & sweeping his legs out from under him. The man fell forward & Pan took the opportunity to jump on his back & put him in a chokehold. As he showily passed out from lack of oxygen, she leaned in & whispered in his ear. "You should've listened to your friend."

When she was sure the last robber was incapacitated, she got off of him & turned to face the crowd & police officers, ignoring their incredulous faces. Pan was breathing heavily as she started walking slowly down the bank's front steps. Blood, red & thick, flowed down the pale flesh of her injured arm. She was beginning to worry that it might be serious when she heard someone yell out her name.

"Pan!" She looked up & was surprised to see Vegeta running towards her. Over his shoulder, Pan saw Trunks standing behind the police blockade with worry in his eyes…& also with some confusion as his father reached her & cupped her face. "Pan, are you okay?"

"Yeah," she smiled weakly. "I just got shot in the arm. No big deal." Pan chuckled lightly, but Vegeta only scowled, not finding her joke the least bit funny.

"I know you're hurt; I felt it. That's how I knew to come here. I flew as fast as I could. Luckily, Capsule Corp is just down the street." Pan frowned _. Hmm… I must've lost control on my block when that asshole shot me._ "I knew _you'd_ be here," he continued, "but I didn't expect to see my son. Were you two together or is it just a weird coincidence?"

The slight anger in Vegeta's voice told Pan that he already knew the answer to that question, but she answered anyway. "He was with me. We were having lunch together when I heard the sirens & came to help."

The Saiyan Prince's jaw tightened & he said through gritted teeth. "You should've told me you were spending the day with your old boyfriend."

"I didn't tell you because I knew you'd act like this," Pan argued & then winced as pain pulsed through her arm.

Vegeta felt her discomfort & his face changed immediately from anger to concern. "Nows not the time to argue about this. We'll discuss this matter more when you're healed."

Pan sighed, but nodded her head anyway. "Okay, whatever you-"

"Pan!" Trunks shouted, interrupting her. "Behind you!"

But it was too late. Pan didn't even have a chance to turn around when she felt an agonizing pain explode in her chest. She fell forward as her vision started to go black. The last thing she saw before darkness took her was something she never thought she'd witness: Vegeta's face overcome with fear & pain & his black eyes brimming with unshed tears.

 **Author's Note:**

Do ya'll hate me for the cliffhanger? Well, too bad. What do you think happened? Let me know your guesses & then you'll find out next week ;)

P.S. Did everyone hear about the shootings in San Bernardino, California? I certainly did. I live only a few miles away from where it happened. In fact, the bastard shooters lived in my city. Their apartment is only a couple minutes away from my house in Redlands, CA. Police cars, the FBI & helicopters were everywhere. It was proven to be a terrorist attack by ISIS. San Bernardino isn't as glamorous as Paris & not as many people died in this mass shooting as they did in the terror attacks in Paris, but loss is loss people. Pray for the fourteen families who lost someone. With the shooters living in my city, planning their attack practically down the street from me, I count myself lucky that nothing happened to me or my loved ones. My family is safe & I hope you all stay safe, too. Until next time guys… :)

-Chels xoxo #PrayforSanBernardino


	14. Will You Save Me?

**Hi everyone! I don't have much to say (I know, it's surprising since I'm such a blabber mouth) except I hope you enjoy this chaotic chapter :)**

 **Last chapter's title was another song by MCR**

 **To SLee: I love badass Pan. I just wish I was better at depicting her badassness. Haha. There's a bunch going on in this chapter. Something might even be found under a bed ;) Thank you so much for your well wishes. It was definitely scary around here for a few days. I never thought something like this would happen near/in my small city. It's calmed down, though, & I'm glad for that :)**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: One of your guesses was spot on & the other was really close. Did Frank shoot Pan? Is Trunks onto Vegeta & Pan? Read on to find out :) Oh, & thank you; I'm really glad we're all okay, too, & that things have calmed down. **

**Chapter Fourteen: Will You Save Me?**

Pan fell forward, but Vegeta caught her before she hit the ground.. Blood spilled out of the corners of Pan's mouth & gushed from the wound in her chest. Her eyes found his before slowly closing. From the look & feel of things, Vegeta surmised she had been shot in the heart. He was surprised, yet grateful, that the girl was still breathing. In all honesty, she should've died within seconds, if not instantly. Still, he knew she was close to death.

"Hold on, my Princess. I'll save you. I'll-" The sound of laughter sounded behind him, drawing his attention. Carefully, he lowered his wounded mate to the ground & turned to a masked man who was standing in front of the West City bank, holding a gun that was still pointed in their direction. _He did this._ Anger pulsed through Vegeta's veins "You dare harm her?" He shouted.

Vegeta saw the man smirk as he replied. "The bitch fucked up my lil' withdrawal here. She cost me millions. Also broke a couple of my ribs. She had that bullet comin'."

"You believe in an eye for an eye? That's good, because so do I."

Lifting his right arm, Vegeta sent a concentrated ki blast in the man's direction. It struck the left side of his chest, leaving a gaping whole where his heart once was. He was dead before he hit the ground, his eyes wide & unseeing. _Shoot my mate in the heart & I shoot yours. Fair's fair. _

"Father!" With rage still coursing through his body, Vegeta turned around to find his son kneeling beside his fallen mate. Trunks' urgent eyes looked at him for guidance. "What do we do? She doesn't have long."

The Saiyan Prince was almost blinded by the pain in his chest & the tears in his eyes, but he didn't need his sight to know Pan was dying. The pain he was feeling was partly from the shared experience of the gunshot & partly because he felt the connection between him & Pan fading, fast.

With every shuddering breath she took, another thread of the string linking them snapped. Soon, it would break completely & if that happened, he would break along with it. Vegeta would have no reason or will to carry on his life anymore.

Vegeta looked at his son. The tearful, pained expression Trunks saw there made him gasp. Never before had he seen his father look so scared & lost…& it was all because of Pan. He knew they spent a lot of time together, but he didn't realize how close they were until he saw his father's reaction to her possible death.

"We need to get her to Capsule Corp," Vegeta simply said before picking the girl up & taking flight, Trunks following closely behind. Flying faster than he ever had before, Vegeta landed in front of his home within seconds. Not wasting a moment, he rushed inside & took Pan to the infirmary, where he gently laid her down on one of the beds. His plan was to put her in the regeneration tank, but he quickly realized her injuries were too severe. She would die before the tank could properly heal her. There was only one other option... "A senzu bean."

"What'd you say, Father?" Trunks asked from where he hovered behind Vegeta worriedly.

"She needs a senzu bean. That's the only thing that could save her now."

"But we don't have any."

"Yes, we do. Upstairs, under my bed, there's a white box. I have a few beans inside there. Bring me that box. Now."

"Yes, sir."

Trunks ran out of the room, leaving Vegeta alone with the dying woman. He grabbed ahold of Pan's hand & squeezed it tightly.

"Stupid, stupid girl," he choked out. Tears threatened to fall, but he kept them at bay. "Why would you so willingly put yourself in danger like that? Have you no sense?"

Of course she didn't, but that was always something Vegeta admired about the quarter Saiyan. She enjoyed fighting so much that she rarely thought about the risks; he was the same way, or rather he used to be. Now, however, the prince loathed that recklessness because it was indirectly killing her.

"Vegeta…" Pan's strained voice pulled him out of his dark thoughts. She was awake & looking at him with half lidded eyes. Her breathing was heavy as she struggled to say more.

"Shh, don't speak," Vegeta said. "Trunks went to get a senzu bean. He'll be back any second & then you'll be fine. I need you to stay awake, though, little one, so that it's easier for you to ingest it. Just hold on for a little while longer."

Pan ignored the older man's words & tried to speak anyway. "I don't think I have that long," she rasped.

Vegeta's heart clenched & fresh tears filled his eyes. This time he couldn't stop a couple from sliding down his cheeks.

"You're going to be fine," he repeated, trying to reassure her, but it was hard for even him to believe what he was saying as he felt more threads snap.

"Liar." Pan tried to smile, but a fit of coughing prevented it. She covered her mouth until the coughing ceased. When she pulled her hand away, she found it covered in blood. She showed Vegeta. "This isn't what I call fine."

Vegeta cursed under his breath. _Where the hell is that boy with the beans?_ He took a deep, steadying breath  & then told her, "Hang on just a little while longer, little one, I'm begging you."

"I'm sorry, Vegeta, I don't think I can," she said between labored breaths. Tears fell from Pan's own eyes as she continued speaking. "It's so hard to breath."

Anger spread throughout Vegeta's body again, drying up his tears in an instant. He was mad at the bastard that shot her, mad at Trunks for taking so damn long…& mad at Pan for not fighting hard enough to stay with him. "Don't you dare die. What happened to Saiyans never give up? That's what you're doing right now; you're giving up. Now are you a Saiyan or aren't you?"

"Only a quarter," she wheezed out. Her breathing was shallow, too shallow. "Vegeta, I'm so sorry. I can't-" The young Saiyan's eyes began to close.

"Pan? Pan, keep your eyes open!"

"I love you," Pan said with her last breath. Her eyes closed completely, her chest stopped moving & her hand went limp in his; the final thread had snapped.

Numbness washed over the Saiyan Prince as he stared at the still body of his mate. She was gone; dead. He had failed to save her just like he had failed to save his father, his people, his planet. There was nothing else he could do for her…or was there?

Hope replaced the numb feeling inside him as an idea came to the full-blooded Saiyan. It was something he witnessed the humans doing to revive someone who wasn't breathing.

Drawing on those memories, he carefully placed the heel of one hand in the center of Pan's bloody chest & then laid the heel of his second hand over the first & laced his fingers together. Keeping his elbows straight & his shoulders aligned directly over his hands, he pressed down hard repeatedly, allowing her chest to rise fully between each compression. After about thirty compressions, he tilted Pan's head back & breathed in for only a second & then repeated the process.

 _Humans are weak creatures, but they do have some good ideas,_ Vegeta thought as he continued CPR on Pan's body. _She might survive if Trunks arrives soon. What is taking him so damn long?_

Trunks rushed into his parent's bedroom & made his way over to their bed. He dropped down onto his knees & stuck his head under it. There wasn't much stored under there, so it was easy for him to locate the small white box.

The lavender-haired man was in the process of pulling it out when something else caught his eye: a single black feather. Confused, Trunks picked it up & examined it. His confusion only increased when he realized that it was a synthetic feather, meaning that it was fake & not from a real bird.

He ran his fingers over the object as he wondered where it could have come from. _One of Mother's outfits maybe? No, I would've noticed if she was dressed like a giant black bird._ A whole minute passed while he pondered where the feather could have come from. He absentmindedly glanced at the white box he was holding while deep in thought & cursed loudly. _I'm so fucking stupid! How could I forget about Pan? I'll ask Mother or Father about the feather later._

Still grasping the feather, Trunks left the bedroom & raced back downstairs toward the infirmary where Pan lay, barely alive…or so he thought. When he entered the room, he saw his father performing CPR on a completely still Pan. Trunks tried to sense her energy, but found nothing. His heart ached as he started to realize that he was too late, that his delay had cost Pan her life.

"F-Father, is sh-she d-dead?" Trunks asked, his voice thick with unshed tears.

Vegeta whipped his head around to glare at his son while he continued his compressions. "There you are, brat. What the hell took you so long?"

"I'm s-sorry. I got distracted &-"

"Distracted? I'm disgusted with you. How could you so easily forget about the girl you once loved. Hurry up & give me those damn beans. She may yet survive."

Ashamed, Trunks lowered his gaze to the floor & held out the box to Vegeta. The older Saiyan was in the process of taking it from him when Goku appeared with Videl & Gohan at his side.

"My baby!" Videl cried out, running over to Pan's side. Thick tears ran down her cheeks in rivulets. "What happened to my baby girl?"

"Vegeta," Goku stepped forward, his usual carefree expression gone from his face, "what happened to Pan?"

"She stopped a bank robbery," Trunks answered, even though the question wasn't directed at him. "We were having lunch together when dozens of police cars drove past. Pan being Pan insisted on following them & helping. She managed to stop the guys who were robbing the bank, but when her back was turned, one shot her. She-she didn't make it."

Gohan dropped to his knees & covered his face with his hands. "No. No, no, no."

Goku placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. His face remained stoic, but Trunks knew the news of his only grandchild's death was killing him..

"She still has a chance," Vegeta growled. "If you idiots would stop talking & give me a damn senzu bean, then she might survive."

"But she's already dead," Trunks stated. Videl sobbed harder at his words & he immediately cursed himself for being so insensitive.

"JUST GIVE ME THE FUCKING BEAN, BRAT!" The Saiyan Prince shouted, his patience, if he even had any to begin with, completely gone. Trunks only nodded as he opened the box & pulled out a small satchel. Opening it, he discovered about ten senzu beans hidden inside. He held one out to his father, but Vegeta shook his. "I need to keep pumping her heart. You have to place it in the back of her mouth & gently rub her throat. Make sure she swallows it. Understand?"

"Yes." Trunks obediently did as he was told. He opened Pan's mouth & placed a bean in the back of her throat. Then he used his fingers to rub her neck, over the esophagus. After a few seconds of massaging her throat, he opened her mouth once more to find the senzu bean gone. "I think she swallowed it."

"C'mon, Pan, wake up. C'mon," Vegeta whispered while he continued the compressions on her chest. "Wake up."

A couple minutes passed with no change. Pan continued to lie completely still & her skin remained a ghostly pale. Despite the lack of results, though, the Saiyan Prince kept performing CPR on the girl until Goku put a stop to it.

"It didn't work, Vegeta. Leave her be."

"No, there's still a chance," he growled.

"Vegeta, I appreciate all that you've done to try & save her, but she's gone." Goku's voice cracked on the last word, his strong façade finally breaking. "Let Gohan & Videl say their goodbyes."

"No!" He shouted; but Vegeta knew he was right. The string connecting them was still in two pieces. His mate had left him, taking with her his will to live.

Goku grabbed Vegeta by the shoulders & gently pulled him away from his granddaughter. "Thank you, old friend. I know you cared for her & I know you're hurting, too, but you did what you could, so thank you."

"I'm sorry, Kakarot," Vegeta rasped. "I tried, I-" He suddenly found himself unable to continue speaking. His throat constricted with an overwhelming sense of…contentedness, happiness. The feeling confused him because only moments before he had felt like a broken man & now he felt like the complete opposite. He was whole again & he didn't realize why until he looked over at Pan & saw her chest rising & falling rapidly…she was breathing. "She's alive," he whispered.

Pan's eyes fluttered opened & she was temporarily blinded by a bright light. _Where am I?_ she thought. _Am I dead?_ As her eyes adjusted, she began to make out the outlines of people surrounding her. Slowly, they came into focus  & she recognized who they were: it was her family.

"Mama? Papa?"

"Oh, thank Dende," Gohan breathed out in relief.

"Panny, my baby, I thought I lost you." Her mother cried, while smoothing down her blood matted hair.

 _Blood? Why am I covered in blood? I don't have any cuts or wounds._ Pan shook her head as she tried to make sense of the broken images floating around in her mind: Trunks, crepes, the bank, masked men…pain, so much pain.

"I-What happened?" Pan asked. "I'm having a hard time remembering."

"You were shot, honey," her father clarified. "We almost lost you. Actually, I think we did for awhile there, but Vegeta saved you." Gohan smiled gratefully at the prince.

"Vegeta?" Pan turned her gaze on Vegeta. He was standing near her grandfather & was staring down at her with disbelieving eyes. _He saved me?_

' _Of course I did. Do you really think I'd let you die?'_

Pan jumped when she heard his voice in her head. She completely forgot how deeply connected they were.

' _Thank you.'_

' _You don't need to thank me, Princess. Just don't do it again.'_

' _I'll try not to. I love you.'_

' _And I you.'_

The two stared at each other for so long without saying anything, or so it seemed to everyone else, that Goku had to clear his throat to get their attention.

The Saiyan warrior smiled knowingly at his granddaughter & his old friend before saying, "Well, this whole ordeal certainly makes a person hungry. Why don't we all head to the kitchen for some food?"

Everyone laughed at the perpetually hungry Saiyan & started to file out of the room. Pan struggled to sit up, her whole body still tender & stiff.

Vegeta started forward to help his mate, but Trunks beat him to it.

"I've got you, baby," he said as he helped her sit up.

"Baby?" Vegeta growled & everyone stopped to stare at them. "Did I miss something, Trunks?"

Trunks chuckled nervously & glanced at Pan before answering. "Um, well, Pan & I are engaged."

Rage, pure & hot, ran rampant in Vegeta's body. His eyes narrowed at the two hybrid Saiyans. "Engaged? Well, isn't that interesting."

"My little girl is getting married?!" Videl squealed.

"I wasn't aware you & Trunks were dating again, sweetie," Gohan said.

"That certainly explains all your trips to Capsule Corp," her mother said with a broad smile. "I had a feeling you weren't coming here just to see Bulla."

Pan's eyes widened & she stumbled over her words as she quickly tried to amend the situation. "No, Trunks isn't who- I mean- we're not dating & we're not engaged." She turned to Trunks. "I never said yes to your proposal, Trunks."

"Say yes now then," he told her.

She gritted her teeth, annoyed at his overconfidence that she would agree to marry him. "I can't do that because I don't want to marry you."

The room filled with an awkward silence while Trunks stared impassively at Pan. Finally, he said, "But you said you would want me as a boyfriend again if I changed & I fully intend to do that. I promise."

Pan sighed. "And I would…if I were still in love with you."

"Oh. So, you don't love me?"

The raven-haired woman's dark eyes darted around the room. She really wished she & Trunks didn't have an audience, but it didn't look like anyone planned on leaving. _Nosy family_ , Pan thought, annoyed.

"Trunks, I love you like I love Bulla: like a very dear friend."

"You can learn to love me like you used to before…can't you?"

"No, I can't. Maybe if you came to me before the night I found out about you & Cecilia, I could have; but everything changed on Halloween." _Because that night I found my soulmate._

"I thought you forgave me for what happened between me & Cecilia."

"I do forgive you, that's not the issue."

"Then what is it? What else happened on Halloween that could have possibly changed everything? Is-Is there someone else?" He asked tentatively. "Did you meet someone at the party?"

Trunks thought back to that Halloween night. He remembered it perfectly. He brought Cecilia thinking Pan wouldn't attend, thinking she wouldn't want to risk running into him, but he was wrong; she _had_ shown up... & she was beautiful.

He had missed her so much during the first six months of their breakup & when he saw her again, he knew he had to win her back somehow; but then she found out his secret & his plan went out the window. He recalled the anger in her eyes; it made her look even more like the avenging angel she was pretending to be. The purple-headed man almost expected her to smite him right then & there, with her black wings spread-wait. _Black wings, black feathers…_

The demi-Saiyan looked down at the feather still clutched in his hand with wide eyes. He knew without a doubt that it must've come from Pan's costume; it was the only logical explanation. But why would it be in his parent's bedroom? His blue eyes traveled back to Pan's face.

She looked nervous at the question Trunks had asked. _So there is someone else?_ he thought sadly. _There must be._ Then he noticed Pan's eyes casting multiple sidelong glances at his father & his dejection turned to anger.

All the Saiyans in the room noticed the sudden rise in Trunks' power level & they turned to look at him.

"Trunks," Gohan said hesitantly, "everything okay, buddy?"

"No," he growled.

"What's wrong?" Goku asked.

"Why don't you ask Pan & _him_?" He spat the last word while glaring at Vegeta.

All eyes now turned to the bloodied girl & the prince. Pan instantly knew what had Trunks so angry. It didn't take a genius like Bulma to figure it out. _He knows. Oh, Dende, he knows. But he can't prove anything right? Our best option is to just deny-_

"Pan & I have mated," Vegeta stated.

Pan squeezed her eyes shut & internally groaned. _Well, there goes that plan._

' _They were going to find out sooner or later, Princess. There's no point in hiding it anymore."_ Vegeta's voice sounded in her mind again.

' _But he has no proof. He can't-'_

' _Look what's in his hand.'_

She did as she was told & saw something black peaking out of Trunks' clenched fist. Upon closer inspection, Pan realized it was a black feather & it didn't take her long to figure out where it had come from.

' _Oh.'_

' _He must've found it in my room. I didn't even know it was in there.'_

' _I guess it really is time to come clean.'_

Videl was the first one to say something after Vegeta's admission. "I don't understand. What do you mean my daughter & you have mated?"

"I don't know how to make it any clearer than that," the Saiyan Prince answered. "She is my mate. We are linked forever through a bond more permanent & meaningful than your ridiculous institution of marriage. We can never be separated, even if we wanted to be."

"Unless one of you is dead," Trunks growled as he lunged at his father. He was stopped, however, by Goku. The latter grabbed him & held him back.

"Trunks, get ahold of yourself," Goku exclaimed.

"Let me go, Goku. Father needs to pay for what he's done."

"What exactly have I done, son?"

"You cheated on Mother! With the woman I love! You stole her from me!" Trunks shouted.

"First of all, brat, I didn't steal Pan from anyone. She was always meant to be mine. Second of all, if the punishment for not being faithful was death, you would've been dead a long time ago. Lastly, your mother & I are no longer together."

"Liar!" The enraged young man snarled. His power level was still rising rapidly. In an instant, he transformed into a Super Saiyan.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Bulla suddenly appeared in the doorway of the infirmary room.

"Our father is fucking Pan, that's what's going on," Trunks replied harshly.

"What?" Bulla gasped. She looked at her best friend, who was still seated on the bed. "That's not true…is it Panda?" Pan was speechless. She could only stare at Bulla with tears in her dark eyes. The bluenette must've taken her silence as a negative response to her question because she burst into tears, too. "How could you two do this to Mom? I can't believe it. You're supposed to be my friend, Pan."

"Bulla, it's not what you think." Pan finally found her voice & rushed to save their friendship. "I can explain."

"There's no need," the blue-haired girl snapped. "It's clear to me that you don't care about me or my family."

With that, Bulla turned on her heel & stormed off, leaving behind a heartbroken Pan.

Goku was visibly struggling to keep his grip on Trunks' arms as he yelled, "Vegeta! Take Pan & get out of here! Take her somewhere safe until he calms down. Go!"

Vegeta didn't hesitate as he scooped Pan into his arms & made his way to the door, pushing past Gohan & Videl, who stood in the doorway.

Pan looked over her mate's shoulder & back at her parents. What she saw in their eyes made her heart to break further. Her worst nightmare had come true; they were looking at her with disappointment & shame.

 **Author's Note** :

Wow. Pan is not having a good day is she? So, what'd you think? Did any of you guess that Trunks would find the feather? I know some of you didn't. Haha. How do you think Pan & Vegeta are going to fix this mess? (if they can that is) Let me know in a lovely review. The story is coming to a close. Only a couple more chapters to go I think. I'll see you all soon!

-Chels xoxo


	15. A Love Like War

**Hi everyone! I'm so incredibly sorry for the week late update. I forgot to tell you guys that because of the holidays, chapter fifteen was going to be late. It was too hectic around here to get any writing or editing done, so, again, I'm sorry. Hope you all enjoyed the holidays & I hope you enjoy this chapter as well :) **

**Chapter fourteen's title is a song by The Birdsongs.**

 **To SLee: I don't think anyone thought Trunks would find the feather. I'm glad I was able to surprise you :)**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: They'll get over it once Bulma clears everything up…maybe. Haha. Trunks might still have a hard time with it.**

 **To kiki700: Sorry about the wait, hon. Hope you like this chapter :)**

 **To Faux Fox: Trunks definitely won't believe anyone but Bulma. Let's hope she clears things up soon. Thanks for the review :)**

 **To Spellweaver10: Thanks for the review hon & the points you brought up. Pan was effected by the bullets because she is mostly human & we all know that they're very vulnerable when it comes to guns. I know bullets never hurt Goku either, but I reasoned that they could hurt Pan. Even though she's strong (stronger than Raditz I'm sure) she's still mostly human. As for Trunks, he didn't go after Pan right away when she left the restaurant. I should've clarified it better, but he got to the bank at about the same time as Vegeta. If I have the time, I'll go back & add to last chapter so I don't confuse anyone else. Sorry about that :)**

 **To MajinHazaa: I'm glad you liked the last chapter :) You're very right: Pan & Vegeta's relationship is definitely going to take some getting used to. Even after Bulma tells everybody the truth, it will most likely take them awhile to accept it. **

**Chapter Fifteen: A Love Like War**

Vegeta flew with purpose through the clear blue sky, Pan cradled protectively in his arms. He didn't tell her where he was taking her & she didn't ask.

After a few more minutes of flying, the two Saiyans landed on a snowy mountain side. Looking at her surroundings, she noticed a large house In the middle of the white blanket of snow.

"What is this place?" Pan asked

"One of Bulma's vacation homes," Vegeta replied. "When our family was still whole, we would come here sometimes."

Sadness fell upon Pan as she gazed at the empty building. Back then, the house was used as a means for a happy family to relax & have fun; now it was being used as a hideout for an unlikely couple whose love was forbidden & frowned upon.

Vegeta, who was still holding Pan, approached the front door. He shifted the young girl in his arms so he could reach out to open the door…but it was locked. "Blast," he exclaimed. "I should've grabbed the key before we left."

"Is there another way in?" Pan asked, shivering. She was wearing black jeans & a long sleeved red top, but the cold still permeated her body. It also didn't help that her shirt had a couple of bullet holes in it.

"No. I'll have to improvise." Without another word, he lifted his leg & kicked the door in, effectively solving their problem, but creating a new one in the process.

"Vegeta?!" Pan yelled. "What the hell? Now we don't have a door! I don't know about you, but I would prefer not to freeze to death!"

"Don't worry, Princess," he said. "I'll fix it."

The raven-haired beauty scowled up at him & Vegeta couldn't help but laugh at the expression that so closely resembled the one he'd perfected over the years.

"Brute force isn't the answer to everything, Vegeta; & stop laughing at me, you jackass."

When he calmed down, he asked, "Well, did you know of another way in?" She shook her head begrudgingly. "Then in this particular case, it was the answer."

Walking inside the dark interior of the cabin, Vegeta gently set Pan down on one of the black leather couches in the living room & turned on the lights before attending to the fallen door. He picked it up, put it back where it belonged & then melted the hinges so that it would stay in place.

It was Pan's turn to laugh this time. "Great job, Your Highness. Tell me, though, how are we supposed to get out?"

Vegeta simply shrugged. "I'll just kick it down again."

Pan shook her head. "Saiyan men," she mumbled.

"Besides," Vegeta said, ignoring her comment, "we have no reason to leave this place; we have everything we need right here."

The younger Saiyan looked around the sparse room & then raised an eyebrow at her mate. "Did the cold freeze your eyelids shut? Because you're not seeing what I'm seeing. Aside from the furniture, this place looks completely empty."

"You've never been here before obviously, so you don't know how everything is stored when this house is not in use."

He walked into the kitchen & Pan followed him. Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out a small capsule, one of many inside the rectangular box. He pressed the button atop it & _poof_ , a case of water appeared.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Pan said. "Bulma likes to capsulize everything."

"Yes. There's plenty of food & water stocked. It shouldn't be expired due to the preservation benefit of the capsules. Also, I believe Bulma & Bulla have clothes here, so that isn't going to be an issue either. Although," Vegeta gave her a wicked smirk, "I wouldn't mind it if your beautiful body was on display at all times."

Pan reddened. "Seriously, Vegeta? I almost died; you'd think sex would be the last thing on your mind."

"It had quite the opposite effect on me actually. Almost losing you only made me want to spend as much time as I could inside of you."

"Well, that's going to have to wait. I'm not a hundred percent yet."

Vegeta's brow furrowed. "The senzu bean didn't heal you completely?"

"For the most part it did, but I still feel a little stiff for some reason."

"Hot water should help with your stiff muscles. It will also wash away all that blood."

Looking down, Pan noticed for the first time just how bloody she actually was. Her entire front was coated in blood that was almost black because of how much it had dried.

"Wow. It's a wonder I survived at all." She glanced at Vegeta & saw the mixed emotions on his face.

The older man was relieved & happy that his mate had lived, but the still very fresh memory of her lifeless body on that bed caused him great heartache. She had almost died, actually had died for a couple of minutes, & in all his years, Vegeta had never known a greater pain. He prayed that he never had to experience that pain again; & if he did, he hoped it wouldn't last long.

"Let's not talk about this anymore," Vegeta said, voice hoarse with emotion. "You need to bathe."

Nodding, Pan followed the older man into the master bedroom & into the ensuite bathroom. He helped her strip down & then turned on the water. When it was warm enough, Pan stepped in.

"Thank you." She offered him a grateful smile which he returned.

"I'll be back in a few minutes to check on you," he told her before leaving the bathroom.

Stepping under the shower head, Pan let the hot water wash over her bloodied body. Bowing her head, she stared at the reddened water flowing down the drain. Without Vegeta there to distract her, she couldn't help but think about everything that happened that day. Her recollection of the robbery & the shooting was still fuzzy, but everything else was crystal clear…especially the faces of her family after they found out about her & Vegeta.

Their reactions were exactly as she had feared: anger, disappointment…hatred. Bulla & Trunks must've hated her for what she had done, or rather what they assumed she had done. They thought she & Vegeta had betrayed Bulma & destroyed their family, but they didn't know the whole story. Pan didn't steal Vegeta from anyone & she didn't ruin anything…did she?

True, she wasn't a home wrecker, but would her friends & family still condone her relationship with Vegeta. As hard as it was to believe sometimes given his youthful appearance, the Saiyan Prince was older than her grandfather. Trunks, his oldest child, was over a decade older than her & it took her parents awhile to get used to Pan's relationship with the 34-year-old man. How would they ever be able to accept her & Vegeta as a couple if they had a hard time accepting that thirteen year age difference?

Salty tears filled her eyes & spilled down her cheeks, combining with the water raining down on her. Pan knew Vegeta could sense her overwhelming despair because he was suddenly in the shower with her. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind in an attempt to comfort her. In response, she spun around & threw her arms around him, burying her face in his hard chest. She vaguely noticed through blurry eyes that he was still fully clothed.

Vegeta let his mate sob into his chest until her tears ran out & her body began to go limp from exhaustion. Hoisting her into his arms, Vegeta carried her out of the shower. He placed her on her feet only for a moment as he dried her body with a towel & wrapped one around his own before carrying her to the king size bed in the middle of the master bedroom.

He lay Pan down gently on the mattress & removed his wet clothes before drying himself & sliding in beside her. Vegeta dragged the comforter over their bodies & then pulled Pan close. She rested her head on his chest & the two Saiyans remained that way, silent & still, until Pan broke the silence a short time later.

"Vegeta?" She croaked.

"Yes, little one?"

"Do you think our families will ever forgive us? Do you think we'll ever go home?"

"There isn't anything to forgive. We didn't do anything wrong, Princess; & I know for a fact that we'll return home very soon."

"How do you know that? If we go back, Trunks will try to kill you again."

"He may try, but he'd never succeed," Vegeta stated. "After Bulma tells everybody the truth, though, he'll have no reason to want to harm me."

"That's right," Pan said excitedly. "Bulma can clear this whole mess up. We should've went to her instead of running away."

"She left with her father last night for some science convention, so she isn't home. She'll be home in three days, but until then we must remain here where it is safe. We have to hide our power levels so that Trunks doesn't find us. I don't want to risk him coming here & hurting you."

"But why can't we just go get Bulma now & take her back to West City so she can explain everything?"

"Because I don't want to go back yet. I'm looking forward to being alone with you, to having you all to myself for three days. It'll be like it should: just you & me."

Despite everything going through her mind, Pan smiled at the thought & dismissed the idea of going after Bulma. She could wait three days if it meant spending them alone with Vegeta. Then when Bulma was back at Capsule Corp, they would return & resolve everything.

"Ok," she nodded, hopeful that this incident would blow over soon. That hope quickly faded, though, when she realized that Bulma wouldn't be able to fix everything. "My family hates me, Bulla, too," Pan whispered sadly.

"That's not true," Vegeta said.

"It is. You didn't see the look on my parent's faces. I don't think they were upset just because they thought I ruined your family. They don't approve of us & I'm sure no one else will, either. Trunks definitely won't. Even when he finds out you didn't cheat on his mother, he might still try to hurt you because of me. He's treating you like an enemy, like this is another battle. Everyone is against us & I don't know what I can do to change that. I lost my family, my best friend…what do I have now?"

"You have me," the Saiyan Prince said in an offended tone.

Pan's eyes closed as she contemplated her own stupidity. _Could I be more insensitive? Of course I have something, the most important thing in my life-him, my mate…Vegeta._

With eyes still squeezed shut, she said, "I'm so sorry, Vegeta. I didn't mean it like that. I-I'm just wallowing in my own self-pity."

Vegeta hesitated before asking, "Are you ashamed of our relationship? Of me? Do you not wish to be with me?"

Pan's eyes popped open & she turned her head so that she could look him in the eyes as she replied, "Of course I want to be with you. Even if I didn't, it's physically impossible for me to leave you. I just wish my family could accept us & that Trunks would stop trying to turn this into a war."

"Many of your earth stories are based on wars that started because of beautiful women & the men they loved & they were able to overcome adversity, so great was their love. One day, that could be us. I would gladly fight for you; I would burn this whole world to the ground if it stood between us."

"Please don't. I'd be out of a job if you did that," Pan joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Vegeta gave her a small smile. "It was only an example. The point I'm trying to make is that nothing can keep us apart, not your family, not mine, nothing. You need to stop caring about what other people think."

"Why?"

"Because they don't matter. All that matters in this world is you & me."

"If only," Pan sighed.

Vegeta glared at her & then pulled her tighter against him. "You are all that matters to me," he growled almost angrily before stealing a kiss from her parted lips.

When they broke apart, Pan frowned at him, troubled by his words. "Don't your children matter to you?"

"My children despise me," Vegeta answered.

"They're angry, but that won't last forever; at least I pray that it won't."

"I suppose I misspoke: The girl & the boy do matter to me. You, however, matter the most to me, Princess."

"You matter the most to me, too," whispered Pan. Vegeta placed his lips on hers once more & rolled on top of her as he kissed the young girl deeply. She kissed him back with equal passion, but pulled away when she felt his member growing hard against her. She laughed lightly. "I told you not tonight, Vegeta."

"I'm sorry, Princess, but I couldn't help it. I'm a man & I'm lying on top of a naked woman, my mate no less. It was unavoidable."

Pan giggled again & shook her head. "It's probably a good idea if we just sleep then."

With a growl, Vegeta reluctantly rolled off of her & lay on his back. "Fine, but I will have you as soon as you're better."

"I look forward to it." Pan pressed her lips to Vegeta's one last time & then she rolled onto her side & fell into a restless sleep, her dreams replaying the day's events over & over again.

"Let me go, Goku!"

Goku struggled to hold onto Trunks. The younger Super Saiyan was incredibly strong & his anger added to his strength. Goku watched his granddaughter & Vegeta leave & only when he sensed they were far enough, did he release Trunks.

"Trunks," Goku said in a warning tone, "you need to calm down."

Trunks glared at the full-blooded Saiyan with angry turquoise eyes. "How the hell can I calm down, Goku? My family was just destroyed & the girl I love is screwing my own father!"

"And what do you plan on doing about it, Trunks? Do you seriously plan on killing Vegeta?"

"You're damn right that's what I plan on doing!" He shouted.

Goku released a frustrated sigh & turned his attention to his oldest son & his wife. They were still standing in the doorway, looking as if they didn't know what to make of the situation. He couldn't blame them; it was definitely a huge shock to everyone…except for him.

In truth, Goku had suspected that Vegeta & Pan were closer than they let on for awhile. Every time he saw Pan lately, she smelled like the Saiyan Prince; she spent all of her free time at Capsule Corp & rarely smelled like anyone but Vegeta, even though Gohan had told him the reason for her visits was to see Bulla. Goku knew that they could've just been training, but the way they acted around each other made him doubt that.

The day's events had confirmed his suspicions; but while everyone seemed to disapprove of the relationship, he was happy for his friend & granddaughter, albeit still a little wary; he knew Bulma would be devastated when she found out that Vegeta was unfaithful.

"Gohan," Goku said, "take Videl home. It's not safe right now."

Gohan shook his head. "No. Dad, what about Pan? We have to go after her."

"No, son. I see the negative emotions in your eyes. It's better if you don't see Pan right now. She'll come home when she's ready."

"My baby," Videl whispered. "What has she done? He's so much older than her, & married."

" _He_ did it," growled Trunks, hair still blonde  & eyes a greenish-blue. "He took advantage of her. I'll make him pay!"

Without another word, Trunks blasted the wall of the infirmary, creating a large hole. He flew out of it & took off into the sky. Goku watched him go, knowing that, short of tying him up, there was not much he could do to stop him. He just hoped that Trunks & Vegeta didn't end up killing each other.

 _Bulma,_ thought Goku. _Maybe she could talk some sense into Trunks. Of course, when she finds out what Vegeta did, she might kill him herself. It's worth a shot, though._

Goku looked at Gohan with urgent eyes. "We have to find Bulma. Do you think she's in the lab?"

"She's not anywhere in Capsule Corp," Gohan replied. "The last time we spoke, Bulma said she was going out of town for a few days. East City I think she said."

"It shouldn't be hard for me to find her, but I have to get to her & find Vegeta & Pan before Trunks does." Goku's brow furrowed in concern. "Hopefully those two are suppressing their power levels."

"I'll come with you," Gohan offered, but his father shook his head.

"No, I'll do it alone. Go home, son."

"But, Dad-"

"Go, Gohan!"

With that, Goku flew out of the hole created by Trunks in the wall & took to the sky, intending to locate Bulma in hopes of calming her enraged son before he did something he would regret.

 **Author's Note** :

Who's going to get to Pan & Vegeta first? Let me know what you guys think of this chapter in a review. I'm not really happy with it. I kind of rushed through it because I didn't want to leave you guys hanging any longer & it's shorter than I would've liked. This is more of a filler chapter than anything. Filler with a little fluff. Oh well, I still hope you liked it. By the way, how was everyone's holiday? Do you celebrate Christmas or a different holiday? I'd loved to know. I'll see you next Monday (I promise).

-Chels xoxo


	16. You Found Me

**Hi guys! Happy New Year! First post of 2016! This chapter is short, I'm sorry. I'll make the next one longer. Only three more chapters to go by the way. Enjoy!**

 **All Time Low sings A Love Like War.**

 **To Slee: Thanks as always for your review. Bulma will eventually set things straight, but who knows what will happen before then ;) I had an awesome Christmas, thank you. I can't wait to have kids of my own, so I can celebrate it with them :) Happy New Year!**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: The answers to all of your questions are coming up. Thank you for another review. I really appreciate them :)**

 **To Faux Fox: Thanks for the review, hon. You know Goku: he's always showing up late. Haha. Let's hope he doesn't this time.**

 **To Captain Momo: Thank you for your detailed review. I really appreciate it. As a first time fan fic writer, constructive criticism is important to me. I'm glad you approve of the way I wrote Goku. I completely agree with you about how a lot of people portray him. You're right: he isn't**

 **completely clueless & it's not fair that people write him that way. You're also right that I plan on developing Bulla's thoughts & feelings about her best friend & her father, but that won't happen until next chapter I think. I plan on delving deeper into Gohan & Videl's opinions on the matter as well. Pan…I tried to write her how she was in GT, so she's bad ass, but still emotional. I'm sorry if I made her **_**too**_ **emotional. Haha. The way Vegeta speaks**

 **actually bothers me sometimes, too. You never see him be affectionate in the show, so I kind of had to wing it. Plus, that's what he always calls her in other people's stories, so I viewed it as the norm. Despite all that, I'm glad you still enjoy my story. Thanks again :)**

 **Chapter Sixteen: You Found Me**

Pan was awoken only a few minutes later from her fitful slumber by a loud crash resounding from the living room downstairs. She sat up to find Vegeta already upright & his head tilted to the side as he focused on the noise.

"Vegeta?" Pan asked. "What's going on?"

"Trunks," he stated simply.

The young Saiyan's eyes widened in panic. "He found us? But how? We're supposed to be hidden from him."

"My son is intelligent. He obviously figured out where we were hiding."

"He doesn't know for sure, though, right?" She whispered frantically, keeping her voice low so Trunks wouldn't hear. "It's just a guess. We can sneak out before he finds us, we can-"

"No," Vegeta interrupted. "We would have to escape quickly & to do that, we'd have to fly. If we flew, he would sense us. Besides, I don't want to run away. I have to face him."

"He'll kill you, Vegeta!" Tears glistened in Pan's eyes. She wasn't the frightful type that ran away when there was danger, but the thought of Vegeta getting hurt, especially because of her, scared her to death.

The Saiyan Prince felt that fear & he smiled reassuringly at his mate. "Don't worry, little one. I'll be fine."

"Vegeta, please don't. We still have time to run."

"No, we don't."

The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard ascending the staircase & before Pan could continue with her argument, the bedroom door was blasted off its hinges. Pan felt Vegeta's body cover hers as he protected her from the debris. When the dust settled, the Super Saiyan form of Trunks was revealed. Lightning flickered around his body as he glared at the couple on the bed.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," Trunks growled.

Vegeta slowly slid out of bed & rose to his feet. His black eyes bore into his son's icy blue ones.

"Leave this place, boy. I don't want to have to hurt you."

"Oh, now you're concerned about hurting me?" The demi-Saiyan snapped. "You didn't seem to care about me or anyone else when you cheated on Mother with my girlfriend."

"Ex," stated Vegeta.

"What?"

"Pan is your ex-girlfriend, Trunks. She didn't belong to you when we first mated. She's mine now."

"She would've been mine again if you hadn't

brainwashed her! She idolized you for years & the second you saw she was vulnerable, you took advantage of it & made her think you were soul mates."

"We are mates, Trunks!" Pan shouted from the bed. Her fear was quickly being replaced by anger.

"Quiet, Pan," Trunks told her.

"I will not be quiet. How dare you say those things about Vegeta? You don't know anything about our relationship."

"Pan," the avenging hybrid warned, "stop defending him. I don't want to hear the lies he told you."

Vegeta also addressed her. "Let me handle this, Princess."

"No, Vegeta. I am a part of this, too. In fact, I'm responsible for all of this. I won't sit idly by." Pan turned her attention back to Trunks. "He didn't brainwash me or manipulate me or whatever else you think. I love Vegeta, Trunks, not you, not anymore. We're not meant to be, we aren't getting married, so just-"

Pan was cut off by a strong, painful force that propelled her across the room & through the bedroom wall. She fell from the second story & landed on the freshly fallen snow, groaning in pain.

"Please forgive me, Pan, but you don't know what you're saying," Trunks mumbled to himself. He turned to his father again when he felt an enormous power level.

Vegeta's hair flickered between black & yellow as his emotions spiraled out of control. He knew Pan was still alive, could sense it, but the fact that his own son had harmed her filled him with an uncontrollable rage.

"You stupid son of a bitch," Vegeta growled. "You have no idea what you've done."

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Flying through the bright blue sky, Goku tried desperately to sense Bulma's life energy. It didn't take long before he located her &, using his instant transmission technique, he teleported to her location.

He frowned when he found himself in an elegantly decorated hotel room & not in a convention center like he had expected. Goku was temporarily distracted from his confusion when he heard sounds coming from an open door. Curious, he walked over to it & peered inside to find Bulma in bed, on top of…Yamcha.

"Yamcha?! Bulma?!" Goku exclaimed.

"Goku?!" Bulma squealed. She quickly rolled off of Yamcha & covered herself with a blanket. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I needed your help, so I came to find you," Goku replied. "Gohan told me you were at some science thing with your dad. That's obviously not true, though."

The bluenette blushed as she said, "I lied about going to the convention with my father. He went & I told everyone I was going too, so I could, well…"

"Spend time with Yamcha," Goku finished.

"Hey, buddy," Yamcha said with a guilty smile.

"Hi," he acknowledged quickly before turning his attention back to Bulma. He scratched the back of his head as he asked, "Can you please explain to me what is going on?"

Bulma sighed. "Yamcha & I are back together."

"Yeah, I can see that," Goku said. "Does Vegeta know?"

"I think he does. I haven't told him about Yamcha, but I think he knows."

"So, you & Vegeta have both been cheating."

"Wait, what?" Bulma's brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm not cheating on him with Yamcha. We're separated."

It was Goku's turn to frown. "You are? Seriously?"

"Yes," the bluenette sighed again. "We were going to tell everybody soon. It would've been sooner, but I thought the kids would have a hard time dealing with it, especially Bulla."

"Pan & Vegeta didn't do anything wrong then," he mumbled to himself.

"Goku, did you say Pan & Vegeta?" Bulma asked. "Are you saying they're…together?"

"Yes." His old friend's mouth fell open in shock.

"Woah," Yamcha said. "I did not see that coming."

"Bulma, that's actually what I'm here about," Goku explained. "Trunks found out about the two of them & he's not handling it well. I thought maybe you would be able to calm him down. I thought it was a long shot, but now that I know you & Vegeta aren't together anymore, I really think it could work. You can tell Trunks that his father didn't destroy his family, but we need to find him before he hurts Vegeta."

"Trunks would never do that," she argued. "He would never try to hurt his own father."

"He already tried, Bulma."

Tears welled in Bulma's blue eyes. "No, he wouldn't. My sweet little boy would never-"

"Look," Goku cut her off, "we're wasting time arguing about this. We have to go."

"No, Goku! I'm telling you it's not possible."

"Yes it is, Bulma. He's heartbroken & not thinking straight, but you can help him."

"C'mon, Bulma," Yamcha added. "You need to sort this mess out, set everyone straight."

She nodded, her eyes still watery. "Okay. Okay, fine. Let's go. Do you know where Trunks is, Goku?"

"No," Goku replied," but with all the power he's emitting, it won't be hard to find him. I just hope he hasn't already found Vegeta & Pan."

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Vegeta quickly transformed & launched himself at Trunks. The two collided & the momentum sent them crashing through the wall & into the hallway. The older Saiyan picked his son up by the collar of his shirt from where he lay on the ground & gave him an upper cut to the jaw.

Trunks flew backwards, his body landing near the top of the stairs. Vegeta didn't give him a chance to recover before he kicked him in the stomach & sent him tumbling down the staircase. He lay at the bottom, gasping for breath, when the Saiyan Prince suddenly appeared.

Vegeta crouched next to his fallen son & hissed into his ear. "Pathetic. My son, taken down so easily. You should spend less time behind a desk & more time in the Gravity Room."

"I may not spend as much time training as you, Father," Trunks panted, "but I can still put up a fight."

Without warning, Trunks' leg swung out & connected with the side of Vegeta's head. He sailed across the foyer & into the living room, only stopping when he crashed into the couch. Dazed, he rose to his feet. Trunks appeared in front of him & quickly continued his assault on his father with a flurry of punches & kicks. He landed a particularly brutal punch to Vegeta's face, breaking his nose, before disappearing & reappearing behind him, kicking him hard in the center of his back.

Vegeta's body soared through the air again & came to a stop in the foyer, near the front door. His body ached, his left eye was starting to swell, & blood poured from his broken nose. Grunting, he flipped over onto his back to meet his son's cold gaze.

"I owe you an apology, Trunks," Vegeta gasped out. "You're much stronger than I gave you credit for."

"You have no idea…but you will." Trunks closed his eyes & began to charge a great amount of energy around his body; but before he could release it, the front door was torn off its hinges, narrowly missing Vegeta as it fell to the floor.

"Trunks, stop!" Pan stood on the doorstep, bruised & bloody. She had heard the fight coming from inside the house & moved as fast as her damaged body would allow toward the front door, where she followed Vegeta's example & kicked it in. Her dark eyes burned with anger as she glared at Trunks. "Get away from him."

"Pan," Vegeta groaned, "go. I'll be fine."

"Yes, think, Pan," Trunks added. "There's no way you can beat me & I really don't want to hurt you."

Pan let out a short, harsh laugh. "You already did, asshole."

"I don't want to hurt you again. My father, on the other hand, has to pay for what he did."

"He didn't do anything!" Pan yelled. "Your parents aren't together anymore. Vegeta didn't cheat on your mom. Please, Trunks, you have to believe me."

"Those are only lies that he has fed you, Pan!" Trunks shouted back. "But once he's dead, you'll be free of his manipulation; we all will be."

Gritting her teeth, Pan flew at Trunks & punched him hard in the gut. He was momentarily stunned, but he quickly regained his composure, blocking each of the Saiyan woman's angry blows.

"You. Stupid. Stubborn. Jackass." She punctuated each word with her fists.

"Enough!" Trunks raised his energy around his body, flinging Pan backward. She landed on her back, next to Vegeta, & she watched with wide eyes as her once good friend's energy continued to rise. "If you insist on staying, then fine. I won't be responsible for what happens to you."

He continued what he had started only moments before, charging energy around his body with the intent of releasing it.

"Trunks, don't," Pan pleaded.

He ignored her & carried on with his attack. When he was finished, he released the large amount of energy that he had accumulated around him. "Super. Explosive. WAVE."

A giant explosion erupted from around Trunks' body, engulfing the entire house, along with Vegeta & Pan.

Goku was right: it didn't take him long at all to sense Trunks' location. After Bulma & Yamcha were dressed & ready to go about ten minutes after his arrival, the Saiyan warrior detected a large rise in power. He recognized it as Trunks & quickly teleported them to where he was.

The group of three looked around at their new surroundings. Where once they had been in a beautiful hotel room, now they were on a snowy mountain with debris falling all around them. Upon further inspection, Goku noticed Trunks standing where a house must have once been. Along with large chunks of wood, he could see pieces of furniture lying in the white snow…but no sign of Vegeta or Pan.

"No," Goku whispered. "Tell me we're not too late."

 **Author's Note:**

How'd everyone like this chapter? I'm sorry that it's not that long. I had more to write, but I ran out of time. Like I've said before, I'm terrible at writing fight scenes, so go easy on me, will ya? I hope you all are having a great 2016 so far. Until next time…

Chels xoxo


	17. Without You

**Hello again! I'm back with the second to last chapter. The next & final chapter will be the epilogue & that'll take place in the future. It might be months or years after the conclusion, I haven't decided yet. **

**Last chapter's title is a song by The Fray.**

 **To Slee: I'm glad you liked my poor attempt at a fight scene. I picked the wrong show to write fan fiction about, huh? Haha. Trunks is definitely in denial, but he's going to be forced to accept the truth soon ;)**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: This chapter has everyone's reactions to Bulma's confession. Hope you like it :)**

 **To Faux Fox: It doesn't make sense, does it? Haha. I hate writing fight scenes, but I love writing Dragon Ball fan fiction, so I don't really have a choice. Sorry about the cliffhanger. I hate them, too, but I didn't have time to write more. Here's the conclusion, though :)**

 **To Spellweaver10: You're right: Vegeta can't be defeated that easily & he's not going to be. He just got a bit distracted. I really like your ideas about Trunks. He should've used his smarts & maybe some tech. In the last chapter, he did get the upper hand on Vegeta by catching him off guard with that kick to the head, but your ideas were way better. As for Pan, when compared to a Super Saiyan 2 Trunks, she's extremely weak, so there wasn't much I could do with that. I really didn't want to make her a Super Saiyan like some people do. It just didn't make sense to me. I'm glad you liked the fight scene despite the outcome & as always, I appreciate your review & feedback :)**

 **Chapter Seventeen: Without You**

"No," Goku whispered. "Tell me we're not too late."

"I don't see Vegeta or Pan anywhere." Bulma said. "Oh, God, Goku, are they…" She trailed off, burying her face in Yamcha's chest.

Goku closed his eyes & searched for any sign of his granddaughter's & friend's life energy. It didn't take him long at all to sense them, but he still couldn't see them.

"They must be buried under all this rumble," Goku stated. "Yamcha, help me find them. Bulma, go try to talk some sense into Trunks."

Bulma nodded & walked in the direction of her son, while the two warriors started their search.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 _How many times am I going to get hurt today?_ Pan's whole body throbbed in pain as she tried to push a large chunk of wood off of her. It proved to be a challenge for her bruised body, but after a couple attempts, she finally managed to remove the heavy object from atop her.

"Vegeta!" Pan called out. She looked around, but couldn't see him. The beautiful snowy mountain side was littered with pieces of wood & broken furniture, all that was left of the vacation house. "Vegeta, where are you?" She tried again.

"Pan!" A voice shouted from behind her.

"Vegeta?" Looking over her shoulder, the young woman saw her grandfather, not her mate, running toward her. "Grandpa Goku? What're you doing here?"

"Thank Dende you're okay," Goku exclaimed, ignoring her question & helping her to her feet. "You are okay, aren't you?"

"My right shoulder hurts like hell, but yeah, I'm fine. I'm actually surprised I'm not dead. Trunks went all out on that last attack."

"I know. I sensed an enormous amount of energy right before we got here."

"We?" Pan asked, confused.

"Me, Bulma, Yamcha," Goku clarified. "I was afraid Trunks would find you, so I went to get Bulma. I'm glad I did because it turns out that I was right: he did find you. Anyway, Bulma's talking to him right now. She's explaining everything to him, so hopefully he'll calm down."

Relief flooded her body at the news. "That's great, Grandpa." Pan then suddenly remembered that he had mentioned Yamcha was with them & her brow furrowed in confusion. "You said Yamcha is here, too? Why'd you bring him?"

Red blossomed over the Saiyan warrior's cheeks as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, uh, I didn't mean to bring him. He & Bulma just happened to be, um…together."

"Oh. Oh!" Pan's eyes widened as she realized what her grandfather meant. "So much for that convention."

"Pan, do you know where Vegeta is?"

She shook her head. "But I know he's alive. I would feel it if he wasn't."

"I can sense that he's still alive, too. We need to find him."

"I'm right here, clown." Vegeta suddenly appeared beside them, Yamcha by his side until he walked away to rejoin Bulma. He was holding his right shoulder, his face stoically hiding the pain that Pan knew he was feeling- she quickly deduced that she wasn't the one with the shoulder injury; it was him- which was caused by an obviously dislocated shoulder- it was visibly out of place & was already starting to swell & bruise.

"Vegeta!" Pan threw her arms around his neck & squeezed tightly, which made him tense in pain. She withdrew quickly when she felt the stab of pain in her own shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"That's okay, Princess," he offered her a small reassuring smile, before turning his attention to Goku. He pointed at his injured shoulder. "You mind helping me out with this, Kakarot?"

"Sure thing, Vegeta." Goku grabbed the Saiyan Prince's arm & slowly pulled it away from his body so that the top of his humerus bone was able to slide under the bone of his shoulder blade. He continued his slow & steady pull until Vegeta's shoulder relocated with a pop. "That better?"

"Yeah, thanks," Vegeta replied begrudgingly; he hated receiving help from anyone, especially from his greatest rival, but it would have been impossible for him to fix his shoulder on his own.

"Where were you, Vegeta?" Pan asked. "I called your name, but you didn't answer."

"I'm sorry, little one, I was a bit out of it for a few seconds. When Trunks attacked us, I shielded you with my body, so it hit me full force. At some point, however, I was pulled away from you & I landed about fifty feet away on my shoulder. The initial pain was so excruciating that I almost passed out."

"You shielded me?" She repeated.

"Of course. I knew I could take the attack with minimal damage. You, on the other hand, could've been seriously hurt. That's also why I didn't stop him before he completed charging up his attack; we were in a small space & you would've gotten hurt if I attacked him. I appreciate that you tried to save me, but I would've been fine without your help."

"You could've stopped him, but you didn't because of me?"

"Yes, but I didn't want to risk hurting you. You should've stayed out of it. You're strong, Pan, but my son is stronger."

"And you're stronger than him," Pan pointed out, "so how'd he beat you."

"He didn't beat me," Vegeta snapped.

"Whatever you say, Father."

Pan turned toward the sound of Trunks' voice & saw him approaching them with Yamcha & Bulma on either side of him. He was no longer in his Super Saiyan form, but he still looked tense & the expression he wore on his face was one of resignation.

"The Prince of Saiyans isn't defeated so easily. You were at maximum power, but I wasn't even close to my full potential. You got a few lucky shots in, boy, but that won't happen again." Vegeta took a step forward with the intention of finishing what they had started, but Bulma quickly stepped between him & Trunks, halting him.

"Vegeta, don't you dare touch him. It's over," she said angrily.

"Our son has made it clear that he intends to kill me, Bulma, & I'm not going to let that happen." He glared at Trunks, who still wore the same resigned expression.

"I'm not going to try to kill you anymore," Trunks said. "Mother told me everything. I'm not sorry for what I did, though. You still took away the girl I love. I don't know if I'll ever forgive you for that, but I won't try to kill you… no matter how much I want to."

"Trunks," Pan spoke up, "can I speak to you alone, please?"

"I guess," he replied.

"Over my dead body!" Vegeta yelled. "I don't want you alone with him."

"I'll be fine, Vegeta. I need to talk to Trunks in private."

"Fine," he grumbled. "You have two minutes." Staring at their retreating forms, Vegeta struggled to keep himself from going after his son & mate. The urge to go after them only intensified when they disappeared around a snow covered boulder where he could no longer see them.

When Vegeta & the rest were put of sight, Pan turned to Trunks & scowled at him. "Trunks, Vegeta did not steal me away from you, so stop saying that he did."

The impassive expression on Trunks' face crumpled as his crystal blue eyes filled with tears. "I know he didn't," he whispered.

"Wh-what?" Pan had expected him to insist that Vegeta did exactly that, not for him to agree with her.

"I know that he didn't steal you away from me."

"But then why would you say that-"

"Because I feel like he did! I know that you weren't mine when you first got together with him, but I had you first. I hate him because he has the one thing I want."

"Trunks, I'm sorry, but there's nothing you could have done to change any of this."

"I could've never cheated on you or I could've proposed to you sooner than I did. I should have done it before that party. We would've been engaged right now if you & him hadn't mated."

"No, Trunks, we wouldn't have. You & I were never meant to be. Vegeta & I were always destined to be mated. I don't know how to explain it exactly, but we would have found our way to each other eventually. It was physical, it was cosmic, it was fate. I care for you Trunks, but I don't love you the way I love Vegeta. I realized awhile ago that I've always had feelings for him, but I thought he was unattainable, so I subconsciously settled on the next best thing: you. I know that makes me a horrible person, but hopefully you can forgive me. I forgive you for everything that you've done."

"I don't know, Pan. It hurts to find out that I was always second best to you." A tear escaped his eye, but he quickly wiped it away. "I guess I deserve that, though, because I did the same to you with Cecilia."

"Yes, & I forgave you for that. You can forgive me, too…right?"

"This is different. I didn't love Cecilia like I loved you, like I still love you."

"Your two minutes are up," Vegeta said as he appeared around the large rock they were hidden behind & walked toward them.

"That's fine," Trunks said. "I think we're done here anyway."

"Wait, Trunks. You & your dad should talk, too."

"I have nothing to say to him." Trunks spoke calmly & evenly, but his clenched jaw gave away his true emotions.

"Likewise," agreed Vegeta.

"Please, Vegeta," Pan begged, her large brown eyes boring into his black ones. "Try to make things right between you two."

Staring into her pleading eyes, Vegeta was powerless to deny her request. He nodded at her & then looked up at Trunks.

"Trunks, I won't apologize for falling in love with Pan, but I am sorry that I caused you pain, to your body & your heart. If I could have avoided hurting you, I would have, but this was out of my control."

"Yeah, I know it was fate or whatever. Listen, thanks for the apology, but I'm still not sorry for what I did to you."

"I don't expect you to be."

"Good. Now if we're done here, I'd like to leave," Trunks declared. "No offense, but I don't want to be around you two. I just can't be."

"Oh," Pan said, slightly hurt. "I guess that's understandable. Yes, we're done. Are you going back home?"

"No," he answered. "I don't know where I'm going to go, but it's not back to Capsule Corp, not yet. Let my mother know that I'll call sometime soon." Without saying goodbye, he flew into the air & in the direction of the setting sun.

"I know we didn't do anything wrong," Pan started, "but I still feel terrible."

"He'll be fine, Princess," Vegeta reassured her. "Let's go back to the others."

When they reached the group of three, Pan told Bulma what Trunks had said, which caused the bluenette to break down in tears.

"This is all my fault," Bulma sobbed. "If I had told him sooner, maybe things would have been different."

"He still would've left, Bulma," Goku stated. "According to Pan, Trunks left because he couldn't bear to see her & Vegeta together. Once he's had some time to think, he'll come back."

"I hope you're right, Goku," she sniffed.

"You'll see. He'll be back before you know it." He smiled comfortingly at her, while Yamcha held her & rubbed soothing circles on her back. When she had calmed down, Goku turned to his granddaughter & friend. "I think it's time we went home. Your parents are worried about you, Pan."

"That's impossible," Pan said bitterly. "They hate me."

"Don't be ridiculous," he replied. "They're upset, yeah, but that's because they don't know the whole story. Bulma is going to come with us to tell them the truth."

Taking a deep breath, the young Saiyan nodded. "Okay, let's get this over with then."

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Gohan & Videl were shocked when Bulma told them that she & Vegeta had been separated for months & that she was now, once again, in a relationship with Yamcha. Goku also told them that he had his suspicions about Pan & Vegeta for awhile, but had no idea about the separation.

"Grandpa, you knew?" Pan inquired, shocked.

"Not exactly. I suspected something might be up with you & Vegeta, because of all the time you've been spending at Capsule Corp & because you smelled like him more than you should have, but I didn't have any concrete evidence."

"Dad, how could you not tell me?" Gohan asked, angrily. "She's my daughter."

"First of all, I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure if I was right. Second, it was Pan's secret to tell, not mine. Also, I thought Vegeta & Bulma were still together & I didn't want to jump to conclusions & get anyone in trouble."

"But I have a right to know who my child is involved with. I don't want her with Vegeta."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here," Pan chimed in, annoyed. "I'm an adult, Papa," she pointed out, "& that means I can make my own decisions, especially when it comes to my love life, & keep whatever secrets I want."

"He's too old for you, honey," Videl said. "You should be dating someone closer to your own age."

"We're not dating," Pan snapped. She looked over at Vegeta, who was standing silently beside her. She smiled up at him & he smiled back. "We're mates, Mama," she said while still looking at Vegeta. "Dating doesn't come close to describing what this is. It's not a fleeting romance or a fling, it's permanent, forever."

"I understand, Pan, but he's older than your grandfather for goodness sake."

"Age means nothing when it comes to a Saiyan bond," Vegeta finally spoke.

"This isn't just about your age difference," Gohan said. "My main reason for not wanting my daughter with you, Vegeta, is because I don't want her to get hurt. If she was seeing anyone else, Trunks wouldn't have reacted so strongly & she wouldn't have gotten hurt. She's constantly in danger with you around. From any enemies that might visit Earth, from your son, but mostly from you. You pose the biggest threat to her. I don't trust you with my daughter. You say you love her, but you've hurt the ones you claim to love before."

"I would never hurt Pan. I'm incapable of doing so. Our bond won't allow it. It goes against my will to harm her."

"What if you didn't have a choice? Babidi, Baby- they made you hurt your family & friends, even though you didn't want to. What if that happens again?"

"Don't be ridiculous, brat," Vegeta growled. "There's no parasite or spell in the entire universe strong enough to make me hurt Pan or break our bond. You've mated with an earth woman, so you can't possibly comprehend the connection between two bonded Saiyans."

"Vegeta, I refuse to let you be with my daughter," Gohan said.

"As if you have a say in the matter," countered Vegeta.

"She's _my_ daughter!"Gohan stated once again. "Of course I have a say!"

"Gohan," Goku placed a hand on his shoulder, "he's right. You can't force them to stay away from each other. Vegeta explained to me how a Saiyan bond works & it's dangerous to keep a mated pair apart. They need each other to survive now. If you kept Pan away from Vegeta, she'd die & so would he."

Gohan's eyes widened. "That can't be true."

"It is," Pan told him. "Mama, Papa, do you remember when I was sick not too long ago? When I had no appetite & I couldn't sleep?"

"Yes," her parents said in unison.

"Well, that was because I had been apart from Vegeta for almost two weeks. We didn't see each other after Halloween night until Bulla's birthday party. He was sick, too, but once we..." _Had sex? Mated?_ Pan wasn't sure what to call it, but she knew she had to sugar coat it for her parents. They definitely wouldn't want to hear about how Vegeta had taken her in the upstairs bathroom. "…um, once we were reunited, we felt better." _Boy, did we feel better._ Pan's cheeks reddened slightly at the thought & she hoped her parents didn't notice. Her father's eyes did narrow, but he didn't say anything.

"Do you understand now?" Vegeta asked. "Keeping us apart would cause Pan more harm than good. If it didn't, though, I still wouldn't give her up."

"Ditto," Pan said with unwavering confidence.

"I'm not a good man," the Saiyan Prince continued, "& I'll never claim to be one, but I will always be good to Pan."

A silence fell across the room as her parents & the others stared at her & Vegeta. Gohan's eyes were narrowed as he eyed Vegeta thoughtfully. Pan wished that she knew what he was thinking. Her parents opinion wouldn't stop her from continuing her relationship with Vegeta, but it still mattered to her, & she prayed that they would learn to accept them as a couple.

Goku was the first to speak after a full minute of tense silence. "Well, I can't speak for your parents, Pan, but I'm happy for you & Vegeta. I've known him for a very long time & I know he'll treat you right; & if he doesn't, he'll have to answer to me." He smiled at his friend & rival & Vegeta smirked back at him.

"As much as I would enjoy kicking your ass, Kakarot, I wouldn't dream of laying a hand on her. Outside of training that is," he said.

"Pan," Gohan started, "I don't approve of this relationship & I don't know if I ever will; but given the fact that keeping you away from Vegeta will kill you, I have no choice but to learn to be okay with it."

"Really, Papa?" Pan asked, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "You're not angry with me?"

"I was never angry with you," Gohan clarified. "I was just being a concerned parent."

"So was I," Videl added. "We only want what's best for you & if that's Vegeta, than so be it. We'll try to accept that."

"Thank you," Pan exclaimed. She ran into her father's arms & hugged him tightly before doing the same to her mother.

Vegeta cleared his throat when Pan was once again standing beside him. "Now that that's out of the way, I want you to know that my mate will be living with me from now on."

"I will be?" Pan asked; she had no idea, but the thought of starting a life with Vegeta made her heart swell with happiness.

"Yes. I told you you would when everyone finally found out about us." He looked at Bulma. "That's okay with you, right, Bulma?"

"Of course," she replied. " Just FYI: Yamcha will be moving in again, too, so don't be surprised when you see him around." She smiled at Yamcha, who was sprawled out on the living room couch.

"I guess we can look forward to a lot of arguing then," Vegeta mumbled under his breath. Bulma didn't miss it, though, & she stared daggers at him from across the room. "We should get going. Princess, did you want to pack a few things before we left?"

"Sure." Pan started up the stairs with Vegeta following closely behind her. Gohan stopped him, however, before he got very far.

"Vegeta, I don't want you in my daughter's room. Stay down here until she's done."

 _I wonder what Kakarot's brat would say if he knew I had already been in her room & all the "fun" we had in there_, Vegeta smirked at the thought.

 _Don't you dare say anything about that to my dad_ , Pan scolded him telepathically, having heard his mischievous thoughts. _Just stay downstairs, Vegeta; I'll only be a few minutes._

The Saiyan Prince simply shrugged & rejoined the others in the living room. Ten minutes later, Pan emerged from her bedroom with a backpack slung over her shoulder. She made her way down the stairs & then, after saying goodbye to her parents & grandpa & promising to visit soon, she, Vegeta, Yamcha, & Bulma left for Capsule Corp in the latter's capsule plane.

Pan was on edge the whole way there. All she could think about was Bulla & their last encounter, which was only less than a day ago. Vegeta, sensing her discomfort, grabbed her hand & squeezed it reassuringly. She smiled at her mate, grateful for his solace, & relaxed slightly in her seat.

When they finally reached Capsule Corp, however, her anxiety returned & she knew no amount of reassurance from Vegeta would quell it this time. Pan had no other choice but to confront her friend & try to save their friendship. Drawing on every last bit of courage she had, Pan entered Capsule Corp & went in search of Bulla.

She tried her bedroom first & wasn't surprised when she found Bulla sitting on her bed, legs drawn up to her chest & her head resting on her knees. There were tear stains on her cheeks & her eyes were red & puffy.

"Hey, Bee," Pan greeted tentatively from the doorway; she hesitated there, not sure if she was welcome inside anymore.

"What'd you want?" Bulla croaked, her voice raw from crying.

"I wanted to talk to you. Can I come in?"

"I guess."

Pan took slow, cautious steps into the room as if Bulla was a frightened animal & she was trying not to startle her. She sat down on the small bench seat in front of the vanity table & took a deep breath.

"Bulla, I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for not telling you about me & your dad, about how you found out, & I'm sorry about your parent's marriage. I know you don't believe that they're separated, but your mom's here & she can tell you."

"She doesn't have to," Bulla said. "Trunks called awhile ago. He told me what happened & what Mom told him. He also told me that he wouldn't be home for awhile because he couldn't stand to be around you or my dad."

"I'm sorry," Pan repeated, lowering her head in shame. She was the cause of both of her friend's suffering.

"I know you are, but I'm still pissed off at you. Not to mention my mom & my dad & all of your damn secrets. You should've told me, Pan. I told you about Goten."

"Yeah, but not right away," the raven-haired girl clarified. "You were afraid of how I'd react, just like I was afraid of how you would. Goten is only my uncle, not my father. I knew you'd hate me once you found out about me & Vegeta & I couldn't stand the thought of that. I was going to wait until after you found out about your parent's separation to tell you, so that maybe you'd hate me a little less."

"I don't hate you, Son," Bulla stated & a small smile formed on Pan's face. It faded, though, with her next words. "I did at first & when Trunks told me you were the reason he wasn't coming home, I hated you even more. I realize now, though, that it's not all your fault. Trunks also said something about a Saiyan bond, so I know you & Daddy couldn't help it. It's powerful stuff."

"He told you all about our bond?" Pan inquired.

"Kind of. He mentioned it, but he didn't go into detail," the bluenette answered.

"Then how do you know so much about it?"

"Because I've experienced it." Pan gasped loudly when Bulla pushed aside her long azure hair to reveal a bite mark on her neck.

"You & Goten?" Her friend nodded. "When did that happen?"

"A few days ago. Goten & I have the same connection as you & my father, so I know better than anyone that nothing could have stopped it from happening."

"Bur you're still mad at me," stated Pan.

"Yes, but only because everything is changing & I don't like it. I don't handle change well, you know that. Remember when my favorite lipstick was discontinued & I was forced to use something else?"

"How could I forget? You dragged me to every store in West City in your attempt to find just one more tube," Pan laughed softly at the memory. Bulla was devastated when she found out & she wouldn't let Pan rest until they found a store that still had her favorite lipstick in stock.

"And that was only make up. Now it's my family that's changing & I hate it. Yes, everyone will still be under the same roof, but it'll never be like it was, especially with Trunks gone."

"Trunks will come back, Bee; he said he would. I'm sorry your world has been turned upside down, but can you maybe forgive me one day?"

"I already have, Panda. It's still going to take me awhile to get used to you sleeping with my dad, though," Bulla visibly shuddered & Pan giggled as she got up from her seat & embraced her best friend.

"Thanks, Brief," Pan said as she pulled away. "Just remember that change isn't all bad. We're closer than ever now. After all, I am kind of your stepmom."

She laughed again, harder this time, at the wide-eyed expression on Bulla's face. "I forgot about that; & I guess I'm your aunt. This is so weird."

"A little bit," agreed Pan.

"So, if you & Daddy have a kid, it'll be my great niece or nephew & my sibling?" Pan nodded. "That's, like, approaching hillbilly territory, dude."

"Yeah, it's a little messed up,"

"Totally."

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

After a long, stressful day, Pan was finally able to rest peacefully. She was currently lying in bed with Vegeta as she pondered on the day's events. Trunks was still MIA, her parents were somewhat okay with her & Vegeta, & Bulla had forgiven her, although she was still having a hard time accepting the many changes in her life. Overall, Pan was happy. She had the only man she ever really wanted & they were beginning their life together.

"I love you, Vegeta," Pan whispered into his chest.

"I love you, too, my princess," he replied as his strong arms tightened around her. "I will love you until the end, until the day I die."

"Or until the day I die."

"Same thing. Because if heaven forbid you should go before me, I will follow you soon after. I can't live without you. To live without one's mate is agony."

"Then how about we both agree not to get ourselves killed any time soon?" Pan proposed.

"Deal," Vegeta agreed, kissing her gently on the top of her head.

The two lay like that, arms wrapped around each other, until they drifted off into a peaceful sleep & Pan's dreams, instead of being filled with angry faces, were filled with Vegeta & visions of their future together.

 **Author's Note:**

How was that for a second to last chapter? It seems like the end, but I have one more chapter to write. Did you guys like this chapter? It wasn't too anticlimactic was it? I feel like it was. I think I'm running out of steam because I didn't know what else to do with it. What should I do with the next chapter? How far in the future should it take place? I'm thinking a year. Let me know your thoughts in a review. I'll see ya'll again on Monday!

-Chels xoxo


	18. The End

**I'm so sorry this is late. I was trying to make it perfect for you guys. It's finally done, though. This is the last chapter & I'm very sad that this story is ending. I've had so much fun writing it & ya'll have been great. By the way, have I ever told you guys how much I love you? You've really made this an awesome experience with your kind words & encouragement. You're the best readers a girl could ask for :) Now without further ado…**

 **To Slee: I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Thank you so much for each & every one of your reviews. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you stuck with me until the very end :)**

 **To LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: A lot can happen in a year, especially in my story. Haha. I was going to take your advice & make it three years later-in fact, that's how I started to write it-, but then I thought that might be a little too long, so I made it two years. Two years will be how long Trunks has been gone. Thank you for reading my story. I hope I see you for the next one :)**

 **To kiki700: I'll definitely try to plan a sequel, but only if I can come up with a good plot. I wouldn't want to give you guys a half assed story. Haha. I love you, too. It's been great getting to know you on Facebook. Thank you for everything :)**

 **To Faux Fox: This chapter definitely isn't angsty. I'm all about happy endings, so this chapter is pretty light hearted. I was thinking the same thing about the Saiyan aging process. I would guess that Pan ages faster than a full-blooded Saiyan, so you're right: the age difference doesn't really matter.**

 **To Majin Hazaa: It is ending & I'm sad about it, too. Haha. I made it two years in the future because I thought that would be a good amount of time for Trunks to be away. I'll definitely keep it touch. Thanks for all your awesome reviews & I haven't forgotten about your stories. I'll check them out soon :)**

 **Chapter Eighteen: The End**

 **Two Years Later- Christmas Eve**

It had been a little over two years since the fight on the mountain side & Pan couldn't be happier. She was currently in the room she shared with Vegeta at Capsule Corp preparing for Bulma's annual Christmas party. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, Pan couldn't help but think about the past two years.

It wasn't easy for her & Vegeta in the beginning after their relationship was revealed. It took awhile for a lot of people to get used to the idea of them as a couple, especially her parents. They eventually came around, though…well mostly. Her father still disliked Vegeta a little bit, but she was still in one piece, so he had no reason to complain; although, that didn't stop him from doing just that every once in awhile. Still, it was a definite improvement from his initial reaction two years ago.

She had been living with Vegeta at Capsule Corp since that day & life for the mated pair had been peaceful & quiet. It was mundane & domestic & Pan loved every minute of it. Every day- excluding the weekends- she would go to work while Vegeta spent his days training. Their nights, however, were filled with each other.

The Saiyan Prince couldn't seem to keep his hands off his young mate when they were alone, & sometimes even when they weren't. A year after Pan moved in, at the previous Christmas party, Bulma walked in on her & Vegeta having sex in the kitchen, on top of the table. The raven-haired girl remembered frantically pulling down the skirt of her dress & looking for her discarded panties, while her face lit up like one of the red Christmas bulbs on the lights that were hanging all over the outside of the house. Vegeta just stood there, unashamedly & with a mischievous smirk on his face, his pants still unbuttoned.

Pan later found out that he had heard Bulma walking to the kitchen & made no attempt to stop what they were doing because he didn't care if they got caught. She had been so angry with him that she vowed to never let him touch her again…but that only lasted a few hours. Pan was quickly learning that she had no say when it came to their bond & their physical need for one another. Nevertheless, though, she promised Bulma that she & Vegeta would handle said needs behind closed doors; however, that promise didn't stop the bluenette from covering her eyes whenever she walked into the kitchen for months after.

They also had a habit of making love frequently in the Gravity Room. The close contact when they trained often proved to be too much for the bonded Saiyans & their practice sessions almost always ended with their clothes on the floor. It also seemed that Vegeta was especially turned on when Pan was fighting. He had once told her, "It fills me with pride when I see the Saiyan warrior in you come out; pride & longing. It makes you more desirable when I see you so aggressive & fierce, just like a Saiyan should be."

Yes, Pan & Vegeta were madly in love & they expressed it regularly, even after years of living together. They never married, though. Vegeta said it was pointless because no wedding vow could come close to expressing what they had & no ceremony could solidify their bond any further.

Bulla & Goten, however, didn't agree. Her uncle proposed to his own mate a couple months after they formed their bond & were married three months ago; Pan was the maid of honor of course. She hadn't seen the newlyweds since they got married, but she knew that they were going to be at the Christmas party that night. Bulla had told her over the phone that she had a surprise for everyone & Pan was eager to find out what it was.

Trunks was also going to be at the party. After two years of no contact with anyone- aside from a couple of calls to his mother-the prodigal son was coming home &, according to Bulma, he had a surprise of his own. Needless to say, Pan was incredibly nervous about seeing him. After all, the last time they spoke, he said he was leaving because of her & Vegeta, because he couldn't stand to look at them.

 _What if that hasn't changed?_ Pan looked at her reflection in the mirror again, at her flawless make up (courtesy of Bulma since her best friend/make up artist wasn't available)  & hoped that the party would be as perfect as her painted face. Sighing, she stood & walked downstairs, following the sounds of raucous laughter & music coming from the ballroom.

When she entered, Pan's mouth fell open in awe at the winter wonderland she suddenly found herself in. The room was beautifully decorated. A huge Christmas tree stood in the corner of the room; it was covered with red & silver ornaments & gifts were nestled neatly underneath. There was a man dressed as Santa Clause sitting next to it, ready to hear the wishes of the children that attended the party with their parents. Oversized snowflakes decorated the walls & fake lighted icicles hung around the perimeter of the room. Each table was covered in either a red or green table cloth & adorned with a mini tree in the center & goody bags at each place sitting. To top it off, fake snow was sprinkled around the little trees.

Pan was so impressed with the decorations that she didn't notice the man standing in front of her until he cleared his throat. She tore her eyes away from Santa, who was smiling down at the small child on his knee, & looked at the man, gasping loudly when she realized she was staring into the crystal blue eyes of Trunks Brief.

"Trunks," Pan whispered.

"Panny," he said with a smile & the young woman was relieved to see warmth in the eyes that had once been so cold. "It's good to see you."

"Me too. I mean, you too. It's good to see you, too," she stammered, blushing, while Trunks chuckled. "It's been awhile."

"It has. How have you been?" Trunks asked.

"Not bad. Working & stuff," Pan replied.

"And by stuff, you mean living with my father?" Pan didn't say anything. Instead she glued her eyes to the floor, only looking up again when she heard Trunks speak again. "I'm not mad at you for living with him, Panny. I'm not mad at you at all actually."

Pan's eyes widened in surprise. "You're not?"

He shook his head. "No. I've had a lot of time to think about things. After…everything that happened on that mountain, I went to Kame House." _So that's where he was for two years- at Master Roshi's place_ , Pan thought. "For the first few months I was there, I was consumed by thoughts of you & my dad; it drove me crazy. At one point, I even considered collecting the dragon balls so I could ask Shenron to undo your bond & make you love me again."

Pan gasped & raised a hand to cover her gaping mouth. "Trunks, I can't believe you would-"

"I didn't do it, obviously. It was just a thought I had when I was in a dark place. I was miserable & depressed, Pan. I thought I lost the one girl I was meant to be with; but I was wrong. It turns out that you weren't the love of my life."

"I suppose that title belongs to me then?" A blonde woman walked up to Pan & Trunks. She grabbed the lavender-haired man's hand & looked adoringly into his eyes before turning her attention to Pan. "It's nice to see you again, Pan. You've grown so much."

Pan stared at the woman in confusion. _This girl knows me?_ She couldn't figure out how she knew her. The pieces suddenly fell into place, though, as the black-haired girl studied the blonde's face closely.

"Marron? Is that you?"

Marron smiled. "I suppose it has been awhile. Yes, it's me."

The last time she saw Krillin's daughter was when Pan was sixteen, eight years ago. She had left West City to go live in London & hadn't been back since. According to her father, he & Eighteen visited her in England every couple of months.

"Yeah," Pan agreed, "it's been a few years. I barely recognized you." She stared at Marron's waist length flaxen hair & form fitting emerald green dress; she looked so different from the pig-tailed girl that Pan remembered. Pan's eyes then focused on her right hand, which was intertwined with Trunks' left & her eyes widened in realization. "You & Trunks?"

"Yes," Marron giggled, "me & Trunks."

Pan looked at Trunks, who was smiling from ear to ear. "Since when? How'd this happen?"

"Marron & her parent's visited Master Roshi last year for the summer & we kind of hit it off. She helped me a lot when she was there. I was a mess. I didn't want to do anything but lay in the spare bedroom & mope, but Marron made me get off my ass & swim, play board games, eat." Trunks laughed. "I even taught her a thing or two about martial arts. She's not much of a fighter, though." He laughed again & looked fondly down at the blonde beauty.

"What can I say," Marron giggled. "I prefer a more passive pastime like shopping."

"That's great, you guys. I'm really happy for you. So, if my math's right, you two have been dating for about a year & a half?"

"Well, we were dating," said Trunks.

"Were?" Pan asked, confused. "As in past tense?" She looked at their intertwined hands again & raised an eyebrow.

Trunks noticed her confusion & chuckled. He exchanged a glance with Marron who nodded & raised her left hand, displaying an enormous diamond engagement ring. "We're engaged," she explained.

"Engaged?" Pan repeated. She was momentarily distracted by the shiny diamond adorning her ring, but she quickly snapped out of it & looked up at her ex-boyfriend with a bright smile. She closed the distance between them & hugged him tightly before doing the same to Marron. "Congratulations," Pan said as she pulled away. "I hope you know that I expect an invite to the wedding."

"Of course," Trunks & Marron said in unison, making Pan laugh.

"You two are perfect for each other."

"Hello, son."

Vegeta appeared beside Pan & she visibly tensed. The Saiyan Prince couldn't blame her. The last time he & Trunks were that close, it ended with them buried under the remnants of Bulma's vacation house; but despite his tendency to hold grudges, Vegeta had put that whole incident behind him & he hoped Trunks had done the same.

"Father," Trunks nodded.

"Your mother told me the good news. Congratulations. She's not Saiyan, but her father is an honorable fighter, despite his small stature."

"Same old Vegeta," mumbled Marron with a shake of her head.

"Well, Dad, it would be impossible for me to find a Saiyan woman since you took the only one that's not related to me. Unless you want me to marry my own sister. Now I don't know about you, but I'd prefer not to do that."

The two Saiyan men stared each other down while Pan fidgeted nervously & glanced back & forth between them; she prayed that they didn't start something & ruin Bulma's party. Pan was about to say something to break the silence when Trunks suddenly started laughing, followed by an amused snort from Vegeta. Pan breathed a sigh of relief as the tension left her body.

"You have a point," Vegeta told him.

"I was about to come look for you, Father," Trunks started. "I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for what I did to you & Pan. I was being irrational & I didn't realize how stupid I was being until Marron here. It took me two years, but I'm finally sorry."

"All is forgiven, son. I would have reacted the same way. You have a lot of me in you; how can I fault you for that?"

"Thanks," Trunks said with a small smile.

"Hey, guys!" Someone called. Pan looked over her shoulder to see Bulma running towards their little group. The bluenette came to an abrupt halt in front of them, almost spilling her drink in the process. "Bulla & Goten are here. Bulla wants all family & close friends to get together before she makes her big announcement & if it's what I think it is, then you better hurry your asses up. I don't want to wait another second."

"Calm down, woman," Vegeta snapped.

"Lead the way, Mom," Trunks added.

Bulma started walking to a table in the far corner. Marron, Trunks, Vegeta, & Pan followed closely behind. As they got closer, Pan noticed that her grandparents, her parents, Bulma's parents, & the rest of the Z fighters were already surrounding the round table. Goten was laughing & talking to her father & grandfather, while Bulla sat at the table with a large plate of food in front of her. Pan figured some of that food had to be for her uncle because Bulma was never one to eat a lot, which was unusual for a Saiyan. .

"I think that's everyone, dear," Bulma said to her daughter. "Can you please tell us what this big announcement is now?" The blue-haired scientist was practically bouncing up & down in anticipation & excitement.

Bulla put the rice ball she was eating back on the plate & cleared her throat. "Well, everyone, I'm…pregnant."

"I knew it!" Bulma squealed. "I'm going to be a grandma!" She ran forward & embraced her daughter. "I'm so happy that I don't even care if that means I'm getting old."

"Getting?" Krillin repeated, earning a smack to the head from an angry Bulma. The group laughed & congratulated the soon-to-be-parents one by one.

 _The huge pile of food makes sense now,_ thought Pan. "So, does this mean I'm a step-grandma now?" she asked her best friend.

"It sure does…old lady," Bulla giggled.

Pan glared at the blue-haired girl. "You're only a year younger than me, Bee."

"True," she laughed again. "You're definitely the youngest grandmother ever."

"Definitely."

Bulla started digging into her food again. "This kid makes me so hungry. I swear, I can't stop eating."

"You're going to get so fat," Pan joked & Bulla's eyes widened in horror.

"You think?"

"Well duh, Brief. You are pregnant after all. I can't wait to see you waddle."

"At least I get to go shopping for new clothes," Bulla pointed out. The two girls laughed & began to chat excitedly about the baby until Vegeta pulled Pan away.

"Let's dance," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath making her shiver. Vegeta led her to the middle of the designated dance floor where a few couples were already dancing. It was a slow song, so he placed his hands on her waist while Pan wrapped her arms around his neck. The Saiyan Prince pulled her close as they began to move. "Do you remember the first time we danced together, Princess?" he asked her.

"How could I forget?" Pan retorted. "I especially remember what happened after." She smirked at him.

He chuckled. "As do I. I couldn't forget that particular memory if I tried."

Images of their first night together suddenly filled Pan's head & she gasped. _He's thinking about it, remembering it._ His memories of them in his bed, him entering her, him biting her neck as he climaxed, his orgasm triggering her own. She felt her face start to burn hot as a blush formed on her cheeks.

"Vegeta!" she whisper-yelled. "Now's not the time to be thinking about that, don't you think?"

Vegeta laughed again. "It's not like anyone knows what I'm thinking about."

"That's not what I'm worried about, you idiot." Pan stared pointedly down at his crotch & Vegeta glanced down at the growing bulge in his dress pants.

He shrugged & leaned forward to whisper into her ear again. "Don't pretend that you're not aroused too, little one."

Her blush deepened. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Either way I can hide what I got going on in my pants. For Dende's sake, Vegeta, my parent's are here!"

"You didn't seem to care about that little fact when I cornered you in the kitchen at the last Christmas party. In fact, I distinctly remember you _begging_ me to-"

"Okay! Enough! I don't need you remembering that, either. I wouldn't want you to burst out of your pants in front of the whole party & cause a scene."

"Well, there's no one around, so now I'm free to make whatever scene I want." He nodded his head at their new surroundings.

She looked around, confused. Pan had been so engrossed in their conversation & shared memories that she hadn't noticed that Vegeta had maneuvered them out of the ballroom & into the hallway.

"Why are we out here?" she inquired innocently.

Vegeta smirked seductively. "There were too many people in their for what I want to do to you. We wouldn't want to give Bulma another show, would we?"

"Like you care if anyone sees us," Pan accused.

Instead of replying, Vegeta pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was soft at first, but it quickly turned desperate & hungry. Pan's hands moved upward & tangled themselves in his hair, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened. Eventually, Vegeta broke away so they could both catch their breath.

"I've been thinking," he said breathlessly.

"About?" panted Pan, her own lungs desperate for oxygen.

"What you would look like swelling with my baby." He leaned down & started kissing her neck.

"No way," she told him, pushing him away. "No buns in this oven just yet."

"Why not?" he asked before trying to capture her lips again but failing. "I think you would look beautiful pregnant with my baby."

"Vegeta, humans tend to get married first, then have the baby."

"I told you that a wedding would be pointless. Besides, we're not human."

"I am...well, mostly."

"You're more Saiyan than you think." Frowning, he asked, "Do you not want to have my child?"

"Of course I do."

Vegeta reached up & tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Then what is it?"

"I…I guess I don't really have a good reason right now." Vegeta's eyes lit up and he grinned. He leaned down and started nibbling on her neck where her mark was, making Pan moan. "That doesn't mean, though, that I won't think of one later."

" _If_ you think of one later," he countered, his mouth still glued to her neck.

Pan didn't reply; she couldn't. She was helpless when Vegeta was touching her, even more so when he was biting her neck the way he was right then. She forced her mind to go back to the subject of children while her mate ravished her body with his mouth. _A baby. Vegeta's baby. Am I ready for that responsibility? Now is as good a time as any I suppose. Seriously, what am I waiting for?_ A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she realized there really was no good reason not to start a family with the man she loved.

All thoughts soon dissipated completely from her mind, as Vegeta sunk his teeth into her neck, breaking the skin. She covered her mouth to muffle the loud moan that escaped her lips.

Deciding against making love to his mate in the hallway, the Saiyan Prince bent down & lifted Pan into his arms, cradling her small body while simultaneously lapping up the blood dripping from the wound he made as he carried her up the stairs to their bedroom.

Pan smiled up at Vegeta after he deposited her on their bed & covered her body with his. She almost couldn't believe, even after two years, that it was all real. She had gotten the one man she ever truly loved, they were happy & they talking about having a baby. It hadn't been easy getting where they were, but what relationship didn't have its hardships? Regardless, Pan knew she would go to hell & back for her mate. There was no obstacle too great, no problem too difficult for them to solve as long as they were together. Vegeta was right: their love was the stuff of legends & it would be talked about for years to come. They loved each other in a way that most people would never experience & they always would, until the end.

 **Author's Note:**

That's it, that's the end. Should I have added a love scene at the end or would that have been too much? I can always go back & add one or maybe do a one-shot or I can leave it as is; your choice. Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, & especially reviewed this story. Thank you **SLee,** **LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta, kiki700, Spellweaver10, Majin Hazaa, TheSprout, Captain Momo, fangurlsrule** & **Faux Fox.** Your reviews always made my day. I had a lot of fun writing this story & it was great getting to know a lot of you. If you'd like to keep in touch, I'll have my social media info below. Im going to start posting on their pictures of outfits that I describe in my stories (since I suck at descriptions) & whatever else I can think of. I have a Twitter, but I don't really use it, so sorry to anyone who uses that site primarily.

Facebook- Chelsea DeMelo Johnson

Instagram- chelseajohnson90

My next story is in the works & it will be about Trunks & Pan. If you like those two, then keep an eye out for it. The title will be Welcome to the Family & I plan to have the first chapter up in a week or two. By the way, the title of Until the End is a Breaking Benjamin song & this chapter's title is a song by My Chemical Romance. Love you guys & hopefully I'll see you all again soon :)

-Chels xoxo


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